The explosion of humour on Twitter after Rahul Gandhi’s comment that Coca-Cola was started by a shikanji seller tickled the neurons of my brains, evoking a plethora of fond memories of this summer favourite. And so I decided to pen down a small but heartfelt ode to this spectacularly refreshing thirst quencher that proved to be a saviour during that one scorching summer I spent in Delhi.
Shikanji, Hindi for a lemonade spiked with flavourful spices such as roasted cumin, amchur and black salt, is a cultural gem. An incredibly refreshing and cooling drink, it has dozens of localized versions but is especially popular in north India where one can often spot handcarts with giant clay matkas on the streets, selling the chilled drink garnished with mint leaves and boondi.
The icy-cold lemonade is also sold by street sellers who still use old-world shikanji machines — tall cylindrical vessels, often wrapped in red cotton cloth. Inside the vessel lies a steel jar filled with the spice-infused drink that is surrounded by layers of salted crushed ice.
Using the handle of the jar’s tightly shut lid, the vendor vigorously shakes the jar around the vessel, causing the shikanji to cool down almost to freezing point. He then serves it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh mint leaves!
As my Punjabi landlady shared with me, shikanji is a ubiquitous drink in most Delhi homes but true-blue Delhiwallas still prefer going out into the city’s streets in search of these shikanjiwallahs!
However, the most invigorating way of enjoying shikanji (according to my humble self) is the version in which it is hand-blended with banta to give it a cheery fizz. The colloquial name for goli soda (goli for the marble each cod-neck bottle of soda is sealed with), banta is a quintessential part of Delhi since years unknown. In fact, it even has a Wiki entry of its own!
As such, the rise and popularity of other carbonated drinks may have upped the competition, but banta’s awesome ‘desi-ness’ and ability to jolt your soul into freshness has ensured that its reputation as a thirst quencher remains unhampered.
I remember street shopping with my friends at Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar on hot sunny days, with innumerable glasses of banta curbing our thirst in the best possible way and getting us going for second rounds of shopping!
Interestingly, Indore has its own version of shikanji that is a world removed from the North Indian shikanji experience. Indori shikanji has neither lemon nor water. Rather, it is made of milk and dry fruits with just a hint of tanginess from the mattha (buttermilk) and has a dewy sweetness to it. A great place to try this unique drink would be Indore’s famed night market, Sarafa Bazaar.
So next time you are craving something cold and refreshing, skip the Coca-Cola and try the quintessentially Indian shikanji — a drink that has millions of cherished memories and a centuries-old culture behind it!
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What makes India unlike any other country in the world is its vibrant amalgamation of culture and ethnicities. Every state has a unique and illustrious heritage and traditions that have captivated scores of travellers to buckle up their travelling shoes and head to the country.
A true celebration of every ethnicity is effortlessly exemplified through its souvenirs and keepsakes, giving one a periscopic insight into a region’s history, culture and geography. They are also the perfect totems for tourists to hold on to as a remembrance of their travel memoirs.
On World Ethnic Day, we have listed down 15 souvenirs from the four corners of India that definitely should be part of your souvenir collection.
Also known as Mithila paintings, these exquisite pieces of hand-painted art made by women in the region are particularly famous for their eye-catching geometric patterns.
Made using a paste of powdered rice along with natural dyes and pigments that are fashioned using fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks on walls and canvases, the art has remained confined to the district of Madhubani for centuries and has rightfully earned the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the region.
2. Bidriware from Karnataka
A 1775 water pipe base displayed in Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Source: Wikimedia.
Believed to have developed in 14th century during the rule of the Bahamani Sultans, the native art form has come to be synonymous with the town of Bidar in Karnataka. Comprising a blackened alloy of zinc and copper that is artistically inlaid with thin sheets of pure silver, these metallic masterpieces are quite distinct and must not be missed!
The Kathputli tradition of Rajasthan is believed to have sustained for over 1,000 years, and the puppets are amongst the most popular souvenirs from the state as they are considered to truly represent the Rajasthani culture and tradition.
Colourful and beautifully handcrafted, taking home one of the kathputlis as a curio, right after witnessing a live Kathputli show is possibly be the best keepsake ever from the desert state.
As much as a trip to Agra calls for a mandatory visit to the iconic Taj Mahal, a walk through the constricted shopping lanes around the mausoleum where shops after shops sell their marble wares and handicrafts is also an experience that you must not miss out on.
From colourful flowers and other ornamental motifs carefully inlaid into painstakingly chiselled marble showpieces to Taj Mahal miniatures, it becomes very hard for visitors and travellers to zero in on only one of these brilliant souvenirs that they carry home, along with the memories.
Derived from Sanskrit words for ‘cloth’ and ‘picture’, the Pattachitra form of cloth-based scroll painting is, without doubt, Odisha’s finest artistic tradition.
With its extraordinary play of colours, the artform continues to remain one of the favourite Indian legacies and each artwork is souvenir in the making that carries with folklores and legends from the days of yore.
If one happens to visit South India, one of the prerequisites is to return home with 6-yard woven wonders from the silk town of Kanchipuram.
The legacy of Kanchi silks is such that people from all over the world come to the quaint little town just to purchase authentic silk sarees straight from the weavers, where no two sarees contain the same motif. The town garnered the GI tag as early as in 2005, making the silk saree the first ever Indian product to receive the honour.
The traditional costume of Assam, a Mekhela Chador is no less than a masterpiece, and you definitely do not want to miss out on picking one up.
Unlike a one-piece garment like a traditional saree, a mekhela chador comprises two pieces that are draped around the body and has ornamental patterns and motifs that are intricately woven along the silken threads.
The exotic village of Aranmula from the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala is home to the mysterious craft of metal-alloy mirrors, also known as Aranmula Kannadi. Believed to have existed even during the Vedic period of Indian history, the composition of metals that are alloyed with silver, bronze, copper and tin continues to remain a secret that has been fiercely guarded through generations of the mirror-makers. These kannadis make exquisite souvenirs, and you mustn’t miss out on them when you head out to God’s own Country.
Known abroad as ‘cashmere’, Pashmina is actually a Persian word, which means made from wool and literally translates to ‘soft gold’ in Kashmiri.
Amongst the finest in wool, the fibre comes from the ‘Cashmere’ goat breeds found in the trans-Himalayan belt that are then handspun and woven into exquisite shawls. Pashmina scarves and shawls are one of the most renowned handicrafts in India that the world continues to obsess over. But make sure you are not duped by rogues into buying fake or ‘viscose’ pashminas!
Can you believe this flamboyant form of embroidery from Punjab finds a mention in Vedas and Mahabharat and has been popular since the 15th century? Translating to floral craft, Phulkari shawls and scarves with their signature geometric designs sewn by women with skilful manipulation of silken threads, are as synonymous to Punjab as is Pashmina to Kashmir. Any trip to the northern state is incomplete without purchasing at least one Phulkari shawl as a souvenir.
Having made a notable contribution to the embroidery culture of India, the Kutch embroidery has been the signature art form practised by women from tribal communities in the region using cotton or silk threads that are exquisitely knotted and later sewn along with small mirrors in vibrant patterns. From attires to hanging wall-pieces, these are amongst the iconic relics for which people head to Gujarat from across the globe.
The entire state of Andhra Pradesh is quite renowned for its diverse range of brassware handicrafts, but it is the bell and brass craft of the quaint little village of Budithi in Srikakulam district that takes away the cake.
Such is the skill of the artisans in the village that the alloy figurines would make you wonder if metals can be made malleable to this breath-taking extent. If you happen to visit the state, keep an eye out for these intricately chiselled brassware, for missing them would be a waste of trip!
When it comes to creating gold out of the ‘green gold’, no one is better at it than the artisans from the Northeastern states of India. Baskets, hats, wooden ornaments, cane photo-frames, carved mugs, showpieces, furniture, panels, lamp shades, table mats—these elegant collectibles are skillfully crafted from the humble bamboo. Additionally, the process of creating and selling them serves as the livelihood for many tribal communities across the seven sisters.
The non-ferrous metal casting technique of Dhokra has been prevalent across the Indian subcontinent for over four millennia, and today, the Jhara craftsmen from the tribal village of Ektaal in Chhattisgarh have been the harbingers of this ancient art of crafting dull-gold figurines.
From metal lamps, delicate jewellery, to lithe-limbed statues, these artefacts showcase painstaking detail and capture mythological icons as well as scenes from everyday life and what can be a better example of an indigenous souvenir!
Museums perform a unique public service—allowing citizens to creatively engage with different cultures and their history. Careful documentation and artefact preservation, the preserve of any half-decent museum, is how they allow this sort of rich cultural engagement.
It is impossible to overstate the importance of museums in a country like India, which has people from a multitude of diverse cultures. In a way, they bring people together.
This is why non-profits like Sahapedia, whose objective is to creatively engage with culture and history using digital media for more extensive public consumption, play a critical role.
As an open online-multimedia knowledge resource based on curated and crowd-sourced content, Sahapedia has developed over 1000 knowledge elements (articles, videos, interviews, photo essays, digitised materials and bibliographies among others).
Screen grab of the Museum Mapping Project page. (Source: Sahapedia)
Having worked with over 500 researchers, authors, and practitioners collaborated with over 30 organisations in the culture sector, and partnering with government bodies like the Archaeological Survey of India, Sahapedia has grown into a critical repository of various cultures and their history. It also organises activities such as heritage walks and talks series (baithaks) for broader engagement.
Today, the non-profit, amongst other programmes, has embarked on a Museums Mapping Project, an ambitious endeavour which intends to map museums from all over the country.
Speaking to The Better India, Vaibhav Chauhan, the Executive Secretary of Sahapedia, who also heads the Museum Mapping Project (MMP), illustrates the inspiration behind such an endeavour with a personal anecdote.
“This project was born out of personal frustration. I have a seven-year-old daughter, and I take her to museums. There is hardly any information about what different museums feature and their artefacts,” says Vaibhav.
Backed by a team consisting of design, editorial and technology professionals and interns from prestigious institutions like the National Institute of Design, alongside scholars, who conduct all the necessary research, this project endeavours to map the wealth of museums in India, irrespective of their size and category.
“We provide access to our dashboard to the interns who file their entries that go through the editorial regime internally for quality control before we publish them on the website. We are also now aiming towards offering the museums direct access to the dashboard to feed in the information,” says Chauhan, describing the process behind the mapping project.
“The idea is to be as diverse as possible. While we appreciate and relish adding the iconic museums to our list, we also focus on integrating the lesser known museums in the tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India so that they gain the visibility they deserve,” says Chauhan.
At the Museum of Kerala History, Kochi (Source: Sahapedia)
Additionally, the project wants to engage the youth with museums and reimagining ways to involve them.
“Since technology plays an important role in their lives, it not only gives endless possibilities for engagement but also there is a constant need to update the form of outreach to keep the interest alive,” adds Chauhan. There are also a few offline initiatives with walking tours in museums for different user-groups including the differently-abled and other disadvantaged groups.
In the project, cultural practitioners with over 30 years of experience working at Sahapedia, have largely driven the documentation process of nearly 220 museums over 20 cities on their website.
“The response has been quite encouraging. We have also added features such as news, events and professional opportunities in the museum space. In addition, we have been experiencing a surge in website views and average session duration on our website,” says Chauhan.
The aim of MMP is to cover approximately 500 museums next year. However, folks at Sahapedia aren’t in a tearing hurry since they expect other museums to start listing entries on their own. Moreover, the non-profit is looking to make the MMP platform transactional in nature in the future, offering services like docent booking, ticket bookings and e-museum shop through the portal.
At the Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai (Source: Sahapedia)
How does Sahapedia fund the museum mapping project?
It is backed by the CSR (corporate social responsibility) arms of various major firms—TCS Foundation, Infosys Foundation and state-backed ONGC. These firms are Sahapedia’s significant funders.
“We have also received appreciation from the government and the Museums of India. NITI Aayog or the National Institution for Transforming India, for instance, have also extended their support to us,” says Chauhan.
“However, we also aim to make Sahapedia financially sustainable through Heritage Tourism, Heritage Education, Heritage Conservation and heritage-related consulting,” says Chauhan.
Access to all this information collated through the project is free since Sahapedia believes in the free dissemination of knowledge.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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“You must have seen an unfinished concrete structure there. Last year, we started constructing a temple inside the forest. But we think we displeased our deity; and our village was hit by an earthquake, a rare phenomenon here. So, we decided to stop all constructions, maintain the area as it is and not offend Sherlanpoche,” says Konjo Tsering, Goan Bura (village headman) of Yewong village in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Legend believes that long ago, there lived a powerful creature in the Grang forests surrounding the Yewong village.
According to locals, the creature resembled an elephant in size. And now, they worship a long elongated rock that resembles an elephant trunk, likening it to Sherlonpoche (which means ‘the golden elephant’ in Monpa, an East Buddhist Tibetan language).
Sherlanpoche was evil. Whoever would pass through the forest was harmed by him. Even the birds and animals were not spared. Nobody knew the reason for his cruelty, but everybody feared him.
Once, a respectable Buddhist Lama named Atajarapa, who lived in a nearby mountain, was travelling through this forest with his son. And as fate would have it, Sherlanpoche captured his son. Despite repeated warnings, he refused to release the Lama’s son. The Lama was now determined to give Sherlanpoche a taste of his wrongdoings. He used his spiritual powers and entrapped Sherlanpoche’s son inside a bell.
The tables had turned. Sherlanpoche could not fathom the supremacy of the Buddhist Lama. He complied to release the son in return for his own son’s life.
Atajarapa agreed on a promise in return from Sherlanpoche that he would not kill or harm any living beings in the forest and instead be the guardian deity. He also gave his word on behalf of the local Monpa inhabitants of Yewong village that they would worship Sherlanpoche for years to come.
Based on this single belief, prayers are offered once a year to Sherlanpoche, who is believed to be living in the forest in the form of an elongated rock resembling an elephant trunk. This forest is known as the Grang Sacred Forest, by the locals and spans around 250 hectares.
The sacredness of the forest has ensured that no trees are felled or that the forest resources are not used for personal or community purposes by the locals.
Not very far from Yewong village is located the picturesque Sangti valley which is surrounded by the high mystic ranges of the Eastern Himalayas.
The valley is adorned by its pristine forests on all sides with the Sangti river calmly flowing through the valley.
A bridge connecting the villages in Nepal.
Amidst this valley lie similar tales and beliefs of the sacred mountains of ‘Ni Dhirshing’ and ‘Namchen’. Although no one in Sangti valley has ever climbed the ‘Ni Dhirshing’ mountain due to its sheer steepness or, have seen the holy gompa which is believed to be on Ni Dhirshing, but they do hear bells ringing and conch shells blowing from the mountain. For the locals, the mystery and legend associated with it have given their mountain its sacred status.
Dirang basti also located in West Kameng district has an old tale about animal sacrifices in the area. The tale goes that a challenge took place between the head priest of the Bon religion and a Buddhist lama -Lopon Rinpoche visiting the area from Tibet. As per the legend, animal sacrifice was an important ritual of the Bons, but Lopon Rinpoche advocated non-killings of any beings. He tried to persuade the locals to stop the killings but this resulted in a challenge between him and the priest as to who could reach the Dzangto Peri mountain first.
Lopon Rinpoche won the challenge and demanded that the head priest stop all animal sacrifices in the area, especially while they worship their sacred mountains – ‘Bangle’ and ‘Dunpu’. Following this, animal sacrifice is not only banned in the area, but the killing of any animal for dietary consumption is also prohibited.
Travelling through the Himalayas in search of stories connecting people and nature, I found that communities living in this region exhibit an inherent relationship with their natural surroundings.
A remote village located in the Annapurna Mountain Range, Nepal.
The forests and the biodiversity hold a special significance for them. Although the communities are highly dependent on forest resources for their survival, they are also its best guardians.
These are many more untold or undocumented oral narratives that exist in Arunachal Pradesh and across the Himalayas. The forgotten tales speak a thousand words about the culture, the people and the natural environment of the region.
These narratives have been passed on through generations orally and are the basis of their cultural and spiritual lives. Such practices have not only helped in preserving their backyard forests and green cover but has also led to conserving the rich biodiversity of the forests.
The terrain is difficult, and there is also an increasing dearth of individuals who remember and can narrate these stories. With the coming of new age media, this traditional art form of storytelling is struggling as daylight is replaced by electronic gadgets and senior citizens are relegated to pray and ponder about the past. In many countries, this traditional form of communication has become less commonplace. However, it is important for us to document these oral narratives and pass them on to the next generation.
In today’s fast-paced world, it is important for us to understand and preserve our intangible culture to create a sustainable future. Such practices will help to strike a balance between communities, culture and science-based conservation.
(Written by Pooja Chowdhary and Edited by Shruti Singhal)
Ganesh Chaturthi is a little over two months away, but preparations have already started in Pune. The festival has always been very special to Punekars, and the energy begins to slowly envelop the city from June-July. The dhol-tasha practice, for instance, starts around this time and in the evenings, you can hear the drums playing from a distance. Soon, Punekars will start booking the Ganesh idols that they will welcome home in September.
Decorations are a vital part of any festival in India, and Ganesh Chaturthi is no exception. Whether at home for a small idol or in big pandals on roads, Ganpati decorations hold a special place in the hearts of the devotees.
Inevitably, the choice for decorations comes down to plastic or thermocol—they are readily available in the market and need little effort from the buyers.
However, in light of the plastic ban in Maharashtra, but more importantly, the growing awareness about plastic threats, two product designers from Pune have developed eco-friendly Ganpati decorations.
Abhay Kardeguddi and Nachiket Thakur have come up with do-it-yourself ‘Eco Makhars’ (decorations) made of recycled paper. The reasonably priced decorations can be assembled, dismantled and stored away for a good 3-5 years.
“Eco-friendly decorations will be in demand with the recent ban on plastic and thermocol items, and will give people an edge if they opt for eco-friendly decorative pieces for the Ganpati festival.”
The designs by Thakur and Kardeguddi have even been appreciated by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as one the Top 10 Eco-Innovations in India. The duo is also conducting workshops to show how the eco-friendly decorations can be made.
“These makhars are made using recycled paper and corrugated paper and are available in four colours. They can bear up to 15 kg of weight besides being reusable for at least 3-5 years,” said Thakur.
So are you ready to welcome the Lord of wisdom with eco-friendly decorations this year? You can buy them here.
Sustainability underscores many traditional practices in India. It is not an uncommon sight in an Indian household to witness a torn old cloth being used as a duster or old utensils being sold off to a scrap dealer. As a child, I remember using hand-me-downs for school textbooks and upcycling old newspapers into book covers!
In fact, this inherent thriftiness — and the belief that there is more than one use for everything — was entrenched in the psyche of most Indians. However, somewhere along the path to development, we moved away from this time-tested natural way of living.
At a time when over-consumption of plastic and a use-and-throw culture is choking the planet, borrowing a leaf from India’s age-old sustainable habits could make a small but important difference.
Here are six desi hacks you could adapt to go green in your daily life!
From our dals and rotis to khichdi and halwas, desi ghee is one kitchen staple we Indians never get enough of. Interestingly, according to Ayurveda, it finds a coveted space in beauty and hair care rituals too. Packed with vital fatty acids, it works an incredibly hydrating and natural alternative to artificial lip balms. And the best part about using it is that you don’t have to worry about what chemicals you are eating up!
What to do: Take a few spoonfuls of ghee and heat it up. Once it cools a bit, pour it into a clean glass container and let it solidify. Once that’s done, use it as you would use your lip balm and say hello to smooth, soft lips!
Dishwashing soaps have chemicals that often leave traces on utensils and are rough on your hands. A combination of tamarind and rock salt can make an excellent all-natural alternative that works even on tough and greasy stains. If you like a bit of lather, you can create a mix of rock salt and sun-dried soapnuts (reetha) that have been powdered. Just mix it with some tamarind pulp and its ready to use (this works especially well for copper cookware!).
Instead of tamarind pulp, lemon peel water can also be used. Boil two cups of water and add the lemon peels. Let it soak for an hour or two, add salt and then store it in a container. Your dishwashing liquid is ready to use. For tough and greasy deposits, soak overnight. Then, scrub as usual and see the stains just vanish!
While making your own natural shampoo requires extra time and effort, it is definitely much better for the environment than using their bottled counterparts that come packed with chemicals and foaming agents. Also, doing this can reduce the number of disposable plastic bottles that end up in landfills and water bodies. And the world needs all the help it can get on this front, don’t you agree?
What to do: Soak five pieces of Shikakai, 4 balls of Reetha (Soapnut) and a handful of Amla (Indian Gooseberry) in about 500 ml of water overnight. In the morning, heat the mixture on gas till it just starts to boil. Let it cool till lukewarm. Then mash the ingredients into a pulp (a lot of froth will be produced at this point). Strain and store — your homemade shampoo is ready!
Plastic bottles used to store water take around 1,000 years to biodegrade and produce toxic fumes upon incineration, meaning most plastic water bottles simply end up becoming litter. Handmade, reusable and biodegradable, clay bottles not only make for a better and healthier alternative, they also help keep the water cool. In fact, clay pots have been used in India for centuries to keep the temperature of stored wares low despite the scorching summer heat.
As for cookware, we only need to look at our past for answers when it comes to choosing ideal storage and serving dishes that are environment-friendly. So give melamine and Teflon a miss, and stock up on clay, copper and khansa (bronze) kitchenware. Not only do they make your meal look beautiful, according to Ayurveda, they have a therapeutic advantage too!
Before reaching for an air freshener that may contain potentially harmful ingredients to you and the planet, take a deep breath and consider using a greener alternative like loban (frankincense).The natural resin of the Boswellia tree, loban produces a beautiful aroma on burning and is a great way of keeping your homes mosquito-free. Making your own potpourri from kitchen ingredients is also a great way of keeping your house smelling great.
What to do: Slow-bake a few slices of apple/orange peel along with some rose petals and sprigs of fresh herbs (rosemary, lavender, thyme) in a pan or an oven till they are dry. Once they cool down, add fragrant spices (like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom) to the mix. You can also add a few drops of your favourite essential oil.
Transfer to air-tight jar, seal and allow to mellow for 2 weeks. Make sure you shake and stir the mixture every alternate day. You can then arrange the potpourri in the containers of your choice. Yet another option would be to fill sachets with the homemade potpourri and place them at strategic locations.
The tough fibres of a coconut husk are great for scrubbing away dirt and grime from utensils. Little wonder it was traditionally used in many Indian households to wash utensils until it was gradually replaced by plastic scrubbers.
So why not replace the nylon pot scourer with a biodegradable coconut husk scrubber. Naturally anti-bacterial and grease-resistant, these fibres do not have the chemicals found in manmade fibres and do not contribute to micro-plastics in our food chains. Also, unlike steel scrubbers, they don’t scratch stainless steel, enamelware or glassware. The best part? They can be composted after use – so they are zero waste!
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It was 7th August 1905, when leaders of the freedom movement like Aurobindo Ghosh, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai and several others started a Swadeshi Movement asking Indians to boycott all British products and use only those made in India. To commemorate this, it was decided in 2015 to observe August 7 as National Handloom Day every year.
This was done to bring into focus the handloom sector, help the weavers and the karigars and make the common people aware of the 2,000-year-old rich history and heritage of handlooms.
In 2016, Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani had started a #Iwearhandloom campaign inviting people to post pictures of themselves wearing handloom attire, while tagging five others. And social media users went berserk with lots of pictures being uploaded.
But the question to be asked is–how does a one-day exhibition of handloom-clad people help the handloom sector?
“No, it doesn’t,” says Jaya Jaitly, emphatically.
Politician and Founder of Dastkari Haat Samiti (arts and crafts market), she has been working with rural artisans of traditional Indian crafts and handloom weavers across the country since 1986.
She elaborates, “Declaring a day for the handloom sector is good but on that day it’s essential to make all the handloom sector workers from the 200 service centers spread across the country be brought forward, hold exhibitions of their work, sell their products, talk about their new experiments and designs to the public. Many things are being done, but a lot more needs to be done to boost up the handloom sector.’’
In India, the handloom sector employs more than 43 lakh people, directly or indirectly, contributing to more than 15% fabric production in the country. It is the second largest after the agricultural sector and plays a major role in the export business as well.
Indian handloom sector holds a unique position as similar sectors all over the world have closed down. Except for very few countries, handloom products have almost vanished from world markets. Indian handlooms hold a major chunk in the handwoven fabric, 95% in the world.
But this is not enough to sustain the sector. Faced with fewer returns on heavy labour, the younger generation of weavers is trying to find new avenues of work to get easy money. And so, an important and unique heritage sector is, unfortunately, facing existential problems.
Kerala-based fashion designer, Sreejith Jeevan of Rouka brand, says, “Maybe declaring one special day puts it in the same category of celebrating Mother’s Day, Friendship Day etc. It might sound trivial. But at least people, especially the young, who aren’t aware of what handlooms are, become aware of this sector. So the next time they go shopping, they might try out a handloom product, and once they experience the comfort of a natural fibre, they might become regular customers.’”
Since he started his brand about five years ago, Sreejith has been working only with handlooms. He isn’t the only designer.
A Rouka design.
There are many designers including Vaishali Shahdangule, Sanjay Garg, Anita Dongre, Anavila Mishra, Payal Khandwal and few others who use only handloom fabric and yarns in their designs.
In fact, many of them stay with the weavers for months, urging them to experiment with colours, yarns, size of the fabrics etc., to get the desired designs and also to bring the weavers in the mainstream. And because of them, several handloom sectors like Chanderi, Ikat, Benarasi, Mekhlai, Kanjivaram, Paithani, Zamadani, Mekhla chadar etc. have got a lot of encouragement. Handprints like Kalamkari, Bandhani, Ajrak and Batik too have been revived.
With fashion designers stepping in with their ideas, handloom weavers have started experimenting. Previously, they wove only saris, chaddars and long lengths of fabric. They used only particular colours and yarns which were in practice for centuries as the handloom sector is still a family-run business as the art of weaving is passed on from one generation to the other.
And even the public thought that handlooms meant only these products and so youngsters shun handlooms.
Now, designers are teaching weavers to change, mix-and-match yarns, dye yarns with different colours, weave different eclectic motifs other the traditional ones and even change the size of the looms to get the desired length of fabric, which is easier to use in Western attire, whereby there is a reduction in wastage of fabric.
Mumbai-based designer Vaishali Shandangule who came to the fashion scene with her breathtaking collection of Chanderi and Paithani fabric has been steadfast in using only handlooms and working closely with weavers from Chanderi, Paithan and Bengal.
A saree from Vaishali.
Talking about the present condition of weavers across the country, the designer says, “Several initiatives have been taken by the Government, but I think there is a lot more which needs to be done in a structured manner on various aspects to make a big impact for handloom revival. The new generation of handloom weavers is establishing better ways to communicate with clients. They are participating in a lot of exhibitions. The customers are more aware of every handloom that is shown to them and also are aware of its exclusivity. Thus the acceptance for handloom textile has increased, which has increased the scope for better pricing’’.
Another major hurdle ailing the handloom sector is that couture fashion isn’t able to tap this sector. The best example is the recently concluded India Couture Week where the biggest names in the fashion world participated, but not a single designer used handloom.
Vaishali says, “I feel Couture is a big segment which is still untapped for the betterment of handloom. I have taken the initiative by introducing “Handloom bride” which is doing well, but I think this sector needs a lot of work. No one would like to stick to handloom if they are not making profits. If couture segment joins in, it will change the game.”
Bengaluru-based House of Three is a brand that agrees with this idea.
Sounak Sen Barat, Founder and Creative Head, and Anu Shyamsundar, Business Head, elaborate the reason for the improvement of the handloom sector.
A design from House of Three.
They say, “Three things are creating an impact on the revival of handlooms–design, intervention and innovation by designers. They are working at making the weavers evolve and reinterpret traditional designs into newer and more modern versions.
Government-led schemes such as the cluster handloom development programme for new product development and weaver training programmes seem very promising. Further, larger retail companies have now started to focus on developing brands made in the handloom sector.
While designers have a voice that can influence change, their businesses are small and cater only to a niche segment. Mobilising the mass segment to show more interest and involvement in engaging and reviving this sector is critical for the immediate and mid-term future.’’
In fact, many big industries have joined hands with IHB (India Handloom Brand) in sourcing high-quality handlooms and branding them to reach the customers. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., have not only been working with handloom weavers but also with designers to develop better handlooms.
Many brands are working with weavers from different regions like Peter England (weavers from Andhra Pradesh), Biba (mainly from Rajasthan and Gujarat), Allen Solly (Pochampally Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society from Telangana), among other retail brands. Raymond has been working with linen, launching their Khadi collection last year.
To revive the handloom sector, the state of Kerala has made it mandatory for all schools to get uniforms from handlooms.
That’s a huge chunk of handloom fabric and work for weavers. If this gets replicated in all other states, things will change a lot for the weaving community.
Jaitly says, “Since 1977, governments have been trying to help this sector. Handloom products were made compulsory for all schools, and the people working in nursing, transport and the manufacturing sector across the country. But who will supervise if authentic handloom fabric is being used? The corrupt bureaucracy passes off power loom fabric as handlooms with the result the government thinks that they are doing a lot; it’s the corruption that chokes the handloom sector.”
Whatever may be the problems, all the players in this sector agree that the handloom sector is certainly infused with a new lease on life. Now it’s up to the customers to support this sector, to buy handlooms (at least one handloom product for every five others you buy) and help our 2,000-year-old craft alive.
The Irula tribe, one of India’s oldest indigenous communities, lives along the borders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Irulas are specialists in traditional herbal medicine and healing practices, and Irula ‘vaidyars’ (practitioners of any Indian systems of medicine) are mostly women and practice traditional healing systems which use over 320 medicinal herbs.
Along with their knowledge in medicine, their skill at capturing snakes, especially venomous ones, is almost legendary.
According to this report, for a large part of the 20th Century, tens of thousands of Irulas made a living by hunting snakes for their skins. Out of reverence to their main deity, a goddess named Kanniamma who is deeply associated with the Cobra, they wouldn’t eat the meat, but sell it to tanners who would process and export it to Europe and the USA.
However, in 1972, the passing of the Wildlife Protection Act, effectively banned the hunting of several animals, including snakes, because of which the Irulas were left with no source of employment.
the Irular Tribe. Source: Wikipedia
Across the world, about 30,000 to 40,000 people die annually of snake bite, and of these, 25% or about 10,000 people die in India. Anti-venom serum is made by immunising horses with gradually increasing doses of snake venom, which, in turn, is always in high demand because it is the most effective cure to treat potentially fatal snake bites. Here, it is also important to note that large numbers of snakes are needed to collect venom in the quantities required for anti-venom production.
Mr.Romulus Whitaker. Source: Wikipedia
Romulus Whitaker, the renowned herpetologist and wildlife conservationist, has worked with the Irulas for nearly 50 years and was aware of their skills, as well as the problems being faced by the Irulas.
He decided to set up a cooperative, named the Irula Snake-Catchers’ Cooperative, on the outskirts of Chennai in 1978, where their knowledge would be used for the conservation of snakes and production of snake venom.
According to this report, since its inception, the Irula Snake-cooperative has revolutionised the treatment of snake-bites in India and produces enough anti-venom to supply hospitals across the country.
But it is definitely not an easy job, and the snakes need to be handled carefully. The Irulas find snakes mainly by looking for tracks and other signs like faeces and shed skins at rat holes, termite mounds and dense hedgerows.
Anti venoms are usually hard to develop as one would need the base venom to make the serum. Source: Flickr
They dig out the snakes with short crowbars, pin them down and bag them. They usually get one to three large snakes in a good day’s hunt, and only bring in healthy adult snakes.
Once captured, the snakes have to be looked after carefully as they only last a few weeks in that state. This is why they are kept in captivity just for three weeks, and three to four venom extractions take place during that time. Later, they are released in the forests surrounding the agricultural land of the Irulas.
Surveys maintained by the project indicate that the survival rate of the released snakes is very high. In 1991, a brief pilot study was carried out, where snakes that had been released, were marked with fluorescent paint marks on their backs so that they could be monitored.
The study found that all except one snake, which was found dead, had found shelter in the forest or even migrated.
During the past 15 years of the project’s existence, the Irulas have learned to optimally manage the cooperative and undertake all the work—from the skilled and dangerous job of capturing the snakes and extracting their venom to operating the state-of-the-art lyophilizer (freeze drier) which processes it.
Irula Snake Catchers Industrial Cooperative Society in Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. Source: Yekamber
The cooperative is now the largest producer of venom in India, and an exceptional example of traditional knowledge being used to advance fields like medicine. Additionally, by making it possible for snake venom to be readily available, an indigenous community is doing the entire country, a great service.
Irrespective of which part of the country you hail from, you would agree that weddings in India are nothing short of an extravaganza and are celebrated with much aplomb and festivities.
The betrothed couple often dream of making their special day an unforgettable affair, but to do it in a way that spreads a social message, how often have you come across a wedding like that?
Well, last year, when IRS officers Abhishek Tripathy and Shatarupa Mishra from Odisha decided to get married, they wanted the day to not just mark the beginning of their life together but also use the event to promote a greater cause.
To this end, they decided to publicise the handlooms and handspun textiles of India by making it their wedding theme.
Abhishek and Shatarupa.
“An Indian wedding is about flamboyance and putting one’s best foot forward, and what one wears in a wedding, is always a much deliberated upon and thought about subject. So, there was no better way to project the handlooms and textile traditions of India, than to make them the very soul of the event. Hence, we chose handlooms as the theme,” says the couple to The Better India.
Interestingly, it was their mutual love for Indian art and culture that had drawn the duo to each other during their training days at the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) in Nagpur.
“Often, our discussions would veer towards the dire state of artisans and craftsmen in India, the highly underrated yet masterly skills of the weavers of Odisha, and such allied aspects. We thought the best way to start was by choosing to highlight the handloom tradition of our state in specific, and India in general. And what better way than our wedding itself to showcase our intent,” Abhishek says.
So, how did they do it?
They began by creating a Facebook page of the event along with a hashtag, #OurOdiaWedding, and posted typical Odia wedding rituals, running up to the main event, while explaining the significance and steps of these.
“This was to acquaint our guests and invitees with the traditional events and rituals. Our friends and guests loved it, as did the extended family, as they could be connected to all aspects of the wedding, despite not being physically present,” Shatarupa explains.
Even their online wedding invite was designed in the quintessential Pattachitra style that depicted a beautiful Sita-Ram wedding scene. In addition to that, the wedding cards that went out from the groom’s side categorically requested guests to wear handloom clothes for the baraat (the ‘barajatri’ procession in Odia) and wedding.
“Quite obviously, the focus was on Odia weaves, but since the guest list was diverse, and included friends from abroad, they were free to choose any Indian handloom textile they felt comfortable. On the other hand, everyone in our close family circles was requested to wear only traditional fabrics sourced from our state,” Abhishek adds.
Now comes the most interesting part—the bride and groom’s attire.
“Beyond Odisha, while many would have noticed the famed Sambalpuri saree on politicians and bureaucrats, we wanted to make it a part of popular wedding wear in Odisha itself. Both Shatarupa and I wore traditional Indian wear for a part of pre-wedding photo-shoot. Shatarupa wore a rich Ikat saree, along with ornaments she generally wears while performing Odissi. We chose the famed temples of Bhubaneshwar as the backdrop of our photo shoot to ensure that we did not deviate from the theme,” explains Abhishek.
On the wedding day, the duo stuck to the traditional weaves of India. Shatarupa chose the ‘Baula Patta’ (yellow saree with red border worn by brides during the wedding rituals). This worked out well when her mentors, Charu Abhyankar and Aashay Abhyankar gifted her a golden yellow Paithani, which is the traditional weave of Maharashtra.
Abhishek went ahead with a custom made, signature attire comprising Odisha Ikat for the wedding day—something that was rarely practised by men in recent times.
“So, a bright red Sonepuri Ikat was chosen for the Kurta and was juxtaposed with a Khandua Patta Dhoti. Khandua or Maniabandha patta belongs to Odisha’s Cuttack district and is the fabric which adorns the holy trinity in the Jagannath temple in Puri, so it is widely considered to be auspicious for weddings and such other celebrations in Odisha,” adds Abhishek.
Most of the inbound procurement of handloom clothes was made by Jagabandhu Mahapatra, who works with weavers directly and has been a trusted supplier for both families for a long time.
Alongside, the couple worked with Roshan Kumar and Dinendra Pratap Singhdeo, an upcoming designer duo from Bhubaneswar who helped them design their attires.
Parents of the bride and groom.
Shatarupa and Abhishek’s fathers also ditched the ubiquitous kurta-pyjama combination for the traditional Odia “Jodo,” which is a dhoti kurta worn with an Uttari (a silk cloth usually worn by men on the torso or shoulders).
The rest of their family members could be seen in the ever-popular Ikat, the quirky chessboard pattern Pasapalli, the very sophisticated Bomkai, the not so publicised Gopalpuri, and the colourful Maniabandha Khandua patta saree and fabrics.
The couple happily mentions that the entire wedding party turned up in varied forms of traditional Indian weaves, proving that their extraordinary initiative to highlight the handloom heritage of India and the handiwork of weavers worked well.
Shatarupa in the golden yellow Paithani saree and with her mother (right).
Additionally, Abhishek’s mother procured some exquisite Uppada silk sarees of Andhra Pradesh from the weavers while Shatarupa’s mother added traditional silk sarees to her trousseau from weavers of Varanasi.
“We are proud that most of our wedding gifts our respective families gave were also handlooms, from various parts of the country. Our varied and extensive travels during our training also provided conducive learning and a rare buying experience for both of us with regard to Indian handlooms and textiles. We managed to buy different types of sarees like Kanjeevarams, Kasavu, Chanderi and Benarasis from weavers directly during such travels,” adds Shatarupa.
In their endeavour to promote Indian handloom textiles and the weavers, the couple has been up to many initiatives.
“Shatarupa is a saree connoisseur and collects handloom sarees and fabrics from her travels. She shares her thoughts and collection on a curated Instagram page. Along with her sarees, there are these stories behind the saree, the fabric or the design. And people love that,” Abhishek proudly adds.
As for other plans, the couple tries to popularise various Indian textiles and the work of the weavers as much as they can.
“On many occasions, what we wear or present as gifts becomes the talking point in groups, and we are happy that people want to know more about the stories behind the fabrics. It is our constant effort to understand the weaves, the issues regarding them and to ensure that in our limited way, we can popularise them. We are glad that our wedding has been a catalyst in this, regard” Shatarupa states.
On a concluding note, Abhishek shares that they both intend to carry on with their efforts, and support weavers’ communities and initiatives whenever they are in a position to do so. “Till then, we are happy sharing their stories, in the process of which they in some ways also become our own. Much like #OurOdiaWedding.”
A Bengali’s identity is defined by the enthusiasm they exhibit while debating their choices and affiliations.
This is true when it comes to differences in origin—Bangal (East Bengal) or Ghoti (West Bengal), fandom—Mohun Bagan or East Bengal, and even politics—Shobooj (Green) or Lal (red).
But, there’s one thing which can make a Bengali sit down, switch off and stay deliciously silent—Food!
Bengalis take their food very seriously, and the cuisine is quite literally, a melting pot of cultures. It is infused with influences from the Mughals, Chinese, Armenians, Parsis, as well as the Britishers.
Thanks to this, Kolkata, the City of Joy, is filled to the brim with gastronomic wonders. No wonder then, that it is also known as the City of Food.
Here’s a list of 10 delicious delicacies in Kolkata that you have to try!
1. Sweet Beginnings: Dudh Puli Pithe and Patishapta
Come winters and Bengali households get busy with removing woollen clothes from boxes, stocking packs of Boroline, and most importantly, sourcing fresh Nolen Gur (New jaggery/Date palm jaggery) for various kinds of Pitha (rice cakes).
Apart from the taste, jaggery contains certain properties to keep the body warm and immune from cold and cough, making it a Bengali family’s tastiest medicine!
Two of these jaggery-based delicacies are Dudh Puli Pithe and Patishapta Pithe.
Dudh Puli Pithe is a creamy sweet dish of soft rice dumplings stuffed with jaggery and sweetened coconut, and dipped in thickened milk.
Similarly, Patishapta is also made of rice flour, but in the form of soft and lacy crepes that are filled with coconut and jaggery.
Where: Although a winter affair, you can now have them all year round at Pithe Bilashi, Nalban Food Park, Opp Cognizant, Sector V, Kolkata, West Bengal 700091.
2. Ball of wonder: Phuchka
One of the most popular dishes in India, this is another spicy version of the Pani Puri. Made with whole wheat, instead of flour or semolina, Phuchka balls are stuffed with mashed potatoes and dipped in tangy tamarind water.
Apart from these essential ingredients, what separates this ball of wonder from its siblings is the addition of few drops of Gondhoraj lebu (some call it the less social, more attractive cousin of kaffir lime) to add to a flavoursome twist!
Where: Try almost 17 different types of Phuchka at Pravesh Pani Puri, Woodland Rd, Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700027. Personal favourite: Phuchka with alu’r dom (spicy potato)
Once a common joint for revolutionaries and intellectuals like Subhash Chandra Bose, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Satyajit Rai, Suchitra Sen, Uttam Kumar, SD Burman and PC Sorcar, it was established in 1918 and is not just famous for its unique drinks, but the stories that each of them tell.
The Daaber Sharbat, made of tender coconut water, ice, a secret syrup and coconut pulp, is one of the oldest and most popular drinks. It was created by the founder Niharanjan Mazumdar in collaboration with the renowned scientist, Prafulla Chandra Ray.
Where: 1/1/1D Bankim Chatterjee Street, College Square, Kolkata, West Bengal 700073
4. Chicken and Fish Kabiraji
Coated in bread crumbs, this popular snack is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Essentially a cutlet, made of fish or minced pieces of chicken, coated with ginger garlic paste, egg and bread crumbs, it is served with tangy and spicy kashundi (Bengali mustard sauce).
Although several speculations exist around its origin, one interesting anecdote takes us back to the alleys of college street, to Basanta Cabin, a place frequented by Rabindranath Tagore.
Tagore was bored with the usual cutlets coated in biscuit dust. The head cook of the cabin, decided to take up the challenge and created this delicacy for the poet, called Kabi-Raji, literally suggesting that it was approved by the poet.
Where: 53, College St, near Medical college, Lalbajar, College Square, Kolkata, West Bengal 700073
5. Snacking with telebhaja!
Bengali evenings are usually a joyful affair of adda (chit-chat) and debate, over a cup of tea, and telebhaja.
The term means ‘fried item,’ and includes an array of chops, like Peyanji (onion) chop, beguni (eggplant) chop, Aloor (potato) chop, Tomato chop and Mochar (Banana blossom) chop.
Coated in generous layers of spiced besan (corn-flour) and fried in oil till deliciously crispy, these chops, also known as cutlets, can be found at every nook and corner of the city.
6. Veggie delight: Shukto and Aloo Posto
Although it is difficult for many to believe, Bengalis have their own share of pure vegetarian dishes. These don’t even include ginger, garlic and onion!
The story of Aloo posto (potatoes cooked in poppy seeds) intertwines drugs, trade and politics, and the British make an appearance as well.
In short, Poppy seed or khus khus is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy. Once a medicinal plant, it slowly made its way to the royal kitchens of Mughals where it was used to enhance the texture of the food or thicken gravies.
However, it was only later when the British discovered the potential market for it in China, that the prized ingredient was made available to the common people, thus aiding in the creation of a typical Bengali vegetarian dish—Aloo posto.
Shukto is yet another example of a Bengali dish where poppy seeds are used. A bittersweet medley of vegetables, it is made of potato, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, pumpkin, lentil dumplings, and more, dipped in a gravy of coconut milk, and sprinkled with mustard and poppy seeds!
7. The Chinese Connect
Today, Kolkata-based Indians of Chinese origin mostly live in Tangra and Tiretta Bazaar—both known as China Town, new and old—respectively.
From light and flavoursome mei foon (rice noodles) served with chicken, lamb or pork, to the best clear soup, Tangra houses one of the top Chinese restaurants serving authentic Chinese cuisine.
Tiretta Bazaar, on the other hand, is the place for Chinese breakfast. Rice pudding, pork and chicken dumplings, and prawn chips are some of the popular items at this Old Chinatown bazaar.
8. Peter Cat: Chelo Kabab
A beautiful plate of buttered, steamed rice, lined with chicken kabab and mutton sheekh kabab, and topped with a roasted tomato and a fried egg, is what makes up the Chelo Kabab, one of Kolkata’s most iconic dishes.
The star of the menu of Peter Cat, the legendary Anglo-Indian restaurant, this sizzler-like platter dish introduced Bengalis to the wonder of Iranian cuisine.
Its popularity later prompted them to introduce its vegetarian alternative with paneer kabab, mixed vegetable kabab and toasted stuffed potato!
Where: 18 A, Stephen Court, Park Street, Opposite KFC Restaurant, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016
9. Kosha Mangsho: Golbari
A 97-year-old recipe still breathes in the alleyways of Shyambazar, Kolkata. This is not a humble mutton curry and is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
A plate of thick and spicy velvety gravy with soft pieces of mutton that melt in the mouth, Kosha Mangsho at the famous Golbari, is served to hundreds daily, with the perfect combination of parathas, tamarind chatni (sauce) and onion salad. Truly, a must try!
This part of India truly is known for its love for fish, be it in their snacks, curries, pickles or even dal (lentils).
While is a plate of hot Maach Bhaat (fish curry and rice) is soul food for a Bengali, the Shorshe Ilish and Chingri malai curry, stand out as two of the most beloved traditional dishes.
Shorshe Ilish is a classic Bengali dish which traces its roots back to the freshwaters of the Padma River, in East Bengal (now Bangladesh).
A prominent monsoon food item, the dish is essentially Hilsa fish cooked in mustard oil and dipped in the delectable mustard sauce, along with onion seeds and green chillies, and is served with steamed rice.
Chingri Malai Curry is made of prawns. While Shorshe Ilish, which was initially a Bangal (East Bengal) recipe, Chingri Malai Curry is essentially a Ghoti (West Bengal) recipe.
But, food in Bengal is beyond boundaries. Therefore, this creamy and spicy Bengali curry made of prawns in coconut milk and spices, is a universal favourite!
The cuisine in Bengal extends far beyond just Biriyanis or the Roshogolla. With all its festivals and cultural events neatly woven around it, food in Kolkata forms the city’s lifeline.
An adventure in itself, the food trail is ever enticing and exciting. So, why wait?
It wasn’t until I got married two years ago that I really began cooking—dals, different kinds of sabzis and rotis—for daily sustenance. Everyday cooking with greens and veggies like bhindi, lauki and gobi, was so routine, anyone could do it, I thought.
And so, I convinced my mother to allow me to cook the specials—sambar, paneer, biryani—dishes that are prepared rarely enough to garner appreciation, but not so infrequently that I completely forgot the process.
The same was the case with the husband.
But when we moved to Bengaluru, we received calls from our families every day, asking us what we had cooked and consumed. Were we surviving on Maggi? What culinary catastrophes did we experience that day? Had we burned down the house or chopped off our fingers?
Thankfully, helping my mother and aunts in the kitchen all these years was not for nothing. And of course, the internet with its sheer quantity of helpful material, came to my rescue.
One of the many resources I turned to was Hebbar’s Kitchen, a food blog started by Archana Hebbar, a software testing professional living in Australia.
Her blog became my culinary search engine. Peeking into the offerings from her channel, I could satiate the families with pictures of a new dish each day.
Archana moved to Australia with her husband after she got married. Without any local experience, it was quite difficult for her to find a job there. So, she decided to pursue her hobby—cooking.
Archana Hebbar.
Blogging was quite a popular activity at the time, so Archana created a free WordPress account.
“Hebbar is my husband’s surname, and a common one in Udupi, Karnataka,” she begins. “When I was thinking of names for my blog, I decided to use it because it’s a part of my identity and also helps me connect with vegetarians.”
On this blog, she posted a few basic recipes along with photos that outlined each step. Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos were gaining popularity at the time, but she couldn’t find many channels that catered to the Indian palette.
“I thought of making shorter videos for Facebook, and the response was amazing,” she tells me.
In videos lasting 120 seconds, Hebbar’s Kitchen enables you to cook up a storm for each meal of the day from breakfast to dessert, masala powders to chutneys, side dishes to beverages.
If you’re looking for vegan alternatives, don’t fret, Hebbar’s Kitchen has all the answers. If you prefer your food “no onion, no garlic”, have a junk food craving, or need to tend to your gluten allergies, Archana offers a plethora of tutorials. For these, and much more.
“What I like about the videos is how short they are! In two minutes, with the most basic ingredients, I can learn recipes that food-shows teach in half an hour!” my colleague, Saiqua Sultan, gushes.
Archana points out that content creation is not a one-day job. From sourcing the ingredients and preparing the dishes to shooting and editing the videos—a lot of time, effort, and planning go into the making of that two-minute video.
“My husband and I plan the entire week’s schedule well in advance. We include recipes from different categories which helps users try them in their daily routines,” shares Archana.
She continues, “It is not just preparing the dish. It also involves showing how the dish can be prepared in a simple way.”
Dosas and idlis ferment perfectly and hit the sweet spot at the first try because she’s familiar with them. But a delicacy like Mysore paktook several attempts.
As regards the video creation, it depends on the “complexity” of the dish. For instance, creating the video of a chutney takes about two hours, but a cake or dessert would take a few hours.
One of the residents in my neighbourhood, Anujna Bhat, used to run a kitchen, offering nutritious, homely meals to neighbours. She tells me that it was watching videos put up by the Hebbars that inspired her. The short video recipes came in handy when she was managing the kitchen along with her work.
Anujna says, “Rava dosa and Neer dosa were always disasters when I made them before I had help from Hebbar’s recipes. But not anymore. Even the chutneys I now make are from her book!”
It was an incredible coincidence that Anujna Bhat and Archana Hebbar were childhood friends! It goes on to prove that the bonds we make over the shared love and appreciation of food are simple, yet last long, across locations.
A small team runs Hebbar’s Kitchen—the Hebbars in Australia and their friend, Shreeprada in Mumbai. While Sudarshan, her husband, focuses on his work during the weekdays, he assists his wife post-work and during weekends.
Archana uses a customised tripod to shoot in different locations and edits her videos. Shreeprada handles communication on the Facebook page and other social media; she also writes articles about tips, tricks and health benefits of ingredients readily available in Indian kitchens.
With a presence on every social media platform, Hebbar’s Kitchen is determined to encourage Indians across age and region hone this life skill. Apart from the website which clearly presents the different categories of edibles, they are also popular on Facebook (with 9.3 million followers), YouTube (1.9 million subscribers), and Instagram (726,000 followers).
The Hebbars have also spoilt their users for choice by presenting an app, which has one million downloads on Android and nearly 500,000 on iOS.
“It is good to diversify. I like to explore new platforms as there are higher chances to be in touch with new generations,” Archana states.
She admits that there were fewer competitors when they began in 2016. But with the growth of the segment, they have had to strive hard to retain their flavours.
Is the space getting crowded, I ask her. She agrees, “I believe there will be a small place for me, which is more than sufficient. We try to post videos every day, and give online support in solving queries via Facebook messenger and e-mail.”
You can believe her when she says this because one reviewer, Manmita Kulkarni, left the following comment on the app last October.
“Love you Archana Hebbar for making my life so easy! Thank You! Also I would like to suggest you to add one more segment in your recipes – ‘Indian Tiffin Box.’ I am always wondering what to cook for my husband early in the morning for his tiffin.”
A quick search on the website now brings up the ‘tiffin box’ category with several healthy and tasty options that are easy to replicate.
Apart from requests like these, viewers often share encouraging responses.
Archana says, “It is really nice to receive messages from parents about their kids trying recipes from my kitchen. They thank us for helping their kids develop an interest in cooking.”
Archana’s work also inspires another segment of the youth–those living in hostels or working away from home. The feeling of missing and craving home food is a singular one, best satiated with the successful attempt at recreating whatever it is that makes your taste buds sing.
Kevin Ronith Kumar says, “Her recipes teach me how to cook dishes that my mom used to prepare for me—not only the ones that I grew up eating, but also some that I’ve heard about. Dhaba style, street foods or even traditional Kerala style palappams, these videos have helped me become a culinary expert in my own circles!”
Although she empowers modern foodies with recipes for fast and junk foods, it is the traditional ones that she looks out for. “I keep referring to cookbooks that showcase regional recipes like voggarenedabbi and kadambila saraswathi,” she reveals.
A connoisseur of the art of cooking, I ask her if there are any ingredients she cannot do without. She answers, “We start and end any South Indian dish with tempering. Being an Indian, and a typical South Indian, my kitchen is incomplete without the spice box.”
In teaching and learning new recipes, Archana thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to explore—new places, various traditions, different cuisines—with memories to savour for a lifetime.
She concludes, “Hebbar’s Kitchen began as a hobby. It became my passion, and is now my profession. I was always interested in cooking, but never thought it would take me so far!”
I’ve now learnt that it may be easier to make biryani because you can only eat it so often. The real challenge is to cook simple fares for the daily grub. And Hebbar’s Kitchen enables that.
We hope that they continue to delight and motivate food lovers to try their hands at humble everyday fares as well as gourmet specials not only in India, but all over the world!
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
To know more about Hebbar’s Kitchen, get in touch with the Hebbars on their Facebook page.
‘The miracle cure for any ailment’- has been the undisputed tagline for Boroline.
From cuts, cracks, burns, swellings, to winter-induced dry skin–the answer to all skin problems has been Boroline, for almost a century!
Doubt it? Ask any Bengali.
What intertwines a quintessential Bengali and Boroline, a skincare product, goes beyond profit margins or sales graphs to the crinkled pages of our tumultuous past.
Although this is not meant to be yet another history lesson, it is indeed, a nostalgic saga of the simpler times, with, of course, sprinkles of legends from the yesteryears.
Started 90 years ago, by Gour Mohon Dutta, in a Bengal divided and ravaged by the British rule, Boroline emerged not just as a dependable commodity, but as an icon of national self-sufficiency.
Till date, it is one of the very few Swadeshi products that continue to be relevant and used across the country.
In 1929, Dutta’s G D Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd began to manufacture the humble perfumed cream and packaged it in a green tube. It was seen not only as a skincare and medical product for daily use but also as a blatant protest against foreign-made goods that were being sold by the Britishers to Indians at exorbitant rates as another tool of economic exploitation.
What’s remarkable is how this humble commodity swam past the waves of time and continues to be a household product, even in modern, Independent India, despite the deluge of ‘advanced’ skincare products.
The bong connect
From youngsters who used the fragrant cream on their dry or pimpled skin, to mothers and grandmothers who generously applied it on the wounds of their young ones, generations of Bengali families have used Boroline as a medicinal as well as a beauty product.
Over the years, it has grown to become one of the many cultural archetypes.
Here’s a video which wittingly captures its essence:
The idea behind the Boroline-obsession has always been associated with its dependability. Being a homegrown product with multifaceted benefits, sold at a cheap rate, it represented not only nationalistic Indians but also the fast-growing Bengali middle class, which eventually marked the beginning of the new era.
Well, since then, from the peak of Himalayas to the Niagara Falls, world-trotting Bengalis have taken the fabled cream all across the globe!
What makes it so special?
This is a well-guarded secret about a rather transparent company.
Born in West Bengal, the ‘antiseptic ayurvedic cream’, is essentially made of boric acid (tankan amla), zinc oxide (jasad bhasma), perfume, paraffin and oleum, which is Latin for essential oils.
Despite its simple and not-so-secret chemical formula, neither the British companies of yore, nor today’s multinational companies have been able to defeat its popularity, infused with fragrant memories.
What’s even more surprising is that GD Pharmaceuticals, a company set up on an Indian model, has not been indebted to the government for a single rupee in the past 90 years!
The focus on efficiency and product quality, with a steady pace, is what has kept them happily afloat, Debashis Dutta, grandson of founder Gour Mohan Dutta, told Live Mint. He is the present managing director of the company.
And then, part of its popularity also comes from its legendary past. It is said that when India got its independence on 15 August 1947, the company distributed almost 1,00,000 tubes of Boroline for free.
Although, with time, like many, the product is embracing and evolving to modern sensibilities of fancy packaging and promotion,one hopes that unlike most, it will sustain its sweet and fragrant old-world charms for many more years to come!
The rising steam from earthen cups of tea intermingles with the sweet fragrance of onion and banana blossom chops, as conversations escalate in exhilarated shrieks, arguments and laughter
An annual tradition held few weeks before May; this is a recurrent scene in all those long adda meetings organised by the youngsters of the society in pursuit of whipping up an intellectually rich Kavir Shathe Shandhya (an evening with the poet).
From dance drama to individual recitals, the following weeks would roll into rehearsals that were anything but exhausting.
I remember rushing home from school, to finish my daily quota of studies and homework, all to keep the evenings free for these creative ventures for Rabindra Jayanti.
Hours would pass and evenings would fade into late nights, yet we all would continue perfecting the steps, running the lines and adjusting the pitch, alongside steaming cups of tea and an ever-flowing supply of deliciously crispy shingaras (samosa).
Amidst all the hard work, it was those off-track addas and interesting trivia on Tagore shared by the elder members, that kept us oblivious to the outside world.
“What comings and goings we used to see: how merry were the rooms and verandahs with the hum of conversation and the snatches of laughter!” someone would spontaneously recite, quoting Tagore’s memoir, Jibansmriti (My Reminiscences).
The nostalgic piece gives a peek into the formative years of the great poet and encapsulates his long conversations with sister-in-law Kadambari Devi, brother Jyotirindranath and many friends like poet Bharilal Chakravarti.
Known as an exceptional conversationalist, Tagore’s memoir emphasised on the importance of ‘majlis’ or ‘adda’, predicting how it would become an integral part of Bengali cultural discourse in the following years.
A part of Bengali parlance, ‘adda’ on the one hand involves long engaging conversations based on rational arguments, dialogue and comic expression, on the other, it manifests itself as an artistic and tasteful display of an individual’s wit, intellectual prowess and humour, all at the same time.
“His fortitude and his kindly sense of humour remained with him till the end. Those who attended on his sick-bed treasured as their greatest reward the pleasantries and witticisms he constantly exchanged with them,” writes Krishna Kripalani (Tagore’s biographer) in her account of the poet’s final days.
According to the students of his institute in Shantiniketan, Tagore was known for his skilful use of rhetorical devices like puns and metaphors juxtaposing them with altered syntactic patterns, and this eventually led adda to become an educational tool.
Interestingly, it was a tradition for them to gather around Tagore as he engaged in storytelling, word-games and various light-hearted literary exercises often encouraging students to join in.
Origin of Kham Kheyali Sabha
The cultural and literary luxury of laid back conversations was not always a common phenomenon in Bengal. With the onslaught of colonialism and the propagation of utilitarianism, Tagore’s beloved art of conversations was coming to an end.
“We no longer have the thing called a majlis. We still meet for business or politics but never for the pleasure of simply being together I can imagine few things more ugly than this social miserliness,” he critiqued the increasing influence of modern greed and selfishness that was closing doors to intellectual and literary freedom among others.
It was this realisation that prompted the establishment of Kham Kheyali Sabha (Assembly of the Whimsical), an informal club where Tagore and his friends would mingle and feast over delicious delicacies and dialogue, in 1896.
The group included prominent individuals like Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Atul Prasad Sen, poet and humourist DL Roy, scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, classical vocalist Radhikanath Goswami and Pramatha Chaudhuri, with whom Tagore would often participate in heated arguments about art, politics, society, or even playful friendly banter filled with humorous anecdotes .
Creative discourse on pages, speeches and food
‘Do not blame the food because you have no appetite’—would be the usual response to reluctant foodies who would infiltrate the Rabindra Jayanti rehearsal halls for casual flirtations with dancing dames.
Like many today, Tagore too was extremely serious about his food, and so it’s not a surprise that his whimsical taste in words and food would find expression at the Kham Kheyali Sabha.
Adda and khabar hence, became the twin agent of ultimate satisfaction for Bengalis.
To be true to its name, Tagore had to maintain its reputation of being whimsical, and nothing served at the sabha could dare be ordinary. His wife Mrinalini Devi would come to the rescue at such instances.
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
From jackfruit yoghurt fish curry without a single piece of fish in it, mustard mutton curry cooked with parwal and served with prawn raita, to cauliflower sandesh and dahi malpua, his unique demands would be brought to life by Mrinalini Devi.
The poet’s innate wanderlust also often inspired his gastronomic adventures that manifested in the kitchen of Jorashankho Thakurbari, where cooks toiled hard to create magical dishes that revolutionised Bengali cuisine.
A few reports on Tagore’s tastebuds claim that the great poet would fear chillies in his food, and because of this, any dish he consumed was always generously sprinkled with sugar.
Interestingly, this has become a prominent aspect of the state’s culinary expertise.
With his wit and unflinching penchant for experimentation, on pages or the plate, the poet has left behind a treasure trove of memories that we call culture today!
The name ‘Higginbothams’ shakes up a lot of memories for all old-timers residing in Chennai, whether it was where they bought their first book or the classic chequered flooring, its high arches or the wooden railings.
“This is my usual routine for the last 50 years. I never forget to visit Higginbothams; I like to see Anantharama’s photo… it inspires me,” says Doraisamy Vishwanathan, one of the older customers.
The beloved bookstore once served royals, Prime Ministers, and institutions for more than a century. India’s oldest bookstore, still in business after 175 years, it all began with an illegal immigrant and his sheer luck.
In the early 1840s, a British librarian named Abel Joshua Higginbotham boarded a ship. When discovered by the captain, he was thrown out at the port of then Madras presidency. Fortunately, being a librarian, he found employment as a store manager of Wesleyan Book Shop. The store catered to local theologians and largely sold religious works.
His dedication was soon evident. But the Mission was losing its profits and in 1844, when they decided to shut the store, they offered Higginbotham the option of buying out the stock.
A J Higginbotham took the opportunity; he bought the shop and renamed it ‘Higginbothams’.
The store gained popularity for its quality of books and diversity of subjects, for its proprietor had the skill to track down rare and in-demand books.
A guide book published in 1859 by John Murray titled Presidencies of Madras and Bombay listed Higginbothams as a ‘premier book shop’.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 provided Europe with direct access to Asia in record time. This shortcut impacted shipping routes, world trade, and passenger travel. The three-month journey from England to India was reduced to three weeks. Ships arrived at Indian ports carrying foreign goods. Large crates for Higginbothams were being offloaded at the Madras port. They contained precious cargo—books and publications that were topping the bestseller lists in Europe.
Higginbothams became India’s largest bookstore chain in the 19th century. As it grew, so did its reputation.
History has it that Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, was a voracious reader. Higginbothams was also appointed as his official bookseller when he visited India in 1876. They were called upon to provide the prince with appropriate reading material following his arrival at the Royapuram Station in Madras. This led the bookshop to attract a large number of elite clientele.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Higginbothams had already become the official book supplier for the government and expanded to publishing with cookbooks.
Their customers ranged from the British Prime Minister Clement Atlee to the Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar. It is widely speculated that the Mulligatawny Soup and Madras Curry Powder became legacies of the British Raj only after Higginbothams first printed their recipes.
A J Higginbotham passed away in 1891, leaving his son C H Higginbotham, in charge. After he took over, he went on to spread this legacy across south India. The bookshop shifted to its present location at Mount road (now Anna Salai); the white building is one of the landmark and heritage structures in the city.
By the 1940s, it had stalls at the Central Railway Station in Chennai, and the Ernakulam Junction Railway Station in Kochi, making books accessible to travellers.
After Independence, in 1949, S Anantharamakridhnan of the Amalgamations Group took over the bookstore. “The year ushered in the transition of the Company from a foreign-owned one to an Indian company. Despite its long history of 175 years, Higginbothams remains young by constantly meeting the ever-changing needs of its esteemed customers,” says Nasir Ahmed Shariff, Chief Operating Officer.
Shariff talks about the relevance of the bookstore in the digital age. He says “Physical books have not lost the charm. As a brick and mortar store, we provide the ambience and meeting point for readers. In trying to reach the younger generations, we have moved closer to our customers. Regional language publications have always been dear to Higginbothams. The Chennai showroom has an exclusive section for Tamil books.”
At present, the Higginbothams group has more than 20 stores spread across South India. The Chennai store holds a special place in history as the first and the oldest bookstore, with an ambience that takes you back to a time long gone.
(Written by Krutika Haraniya and Edited by Shruti Singhal)
A big dollop of snow-white rice lands on the plate. The steam swirls up into the air, only to be doused by a few drops of lime. A slight poke to release the heat, and a blast of one-of-a-kind citrusy fragrance transports the senses to an era long gone.
Meet the king of aromas, Gondhoraj—a reclusive member of the lime family and a distant cousin of Kaffir lime—known for its esoteric qualities of pushing people into a paroxysm of happy memories.
From livening up an insipid, watery dal to complimenting a flavourful helping of fish or meat, or even the world-famous Phuchka, Gondhoraj lebu, eastern India’s best kept culinary secret, has constantly been pushing Bengali cuisine to newer heights—transforming a gastronomic experience into much more than taste.
A king true to its soil, literally!
Often mistaken with its more popular cousin, Kaffirlime, Gondhoraj likes to rule from behind the curtains. One without an English name or a dedicated Wikipedia profile, this bright green oblong lime, also known as the Rangpur lime, originates in Sylhet and the picturesque hills of Chittagong, Bangladesh.
“Don’t you dare call a gondhoraj a nimbu in front of a Bengali. It’s a matter of pride. It’s a million times more than a mere nimbu,” says Anjan Chatterjee, a foodie and Indian hotelier. He owns Mainland China, Oh! Calcutta, Cafe Mezzuna, Sigree Global Grill, Hoppipola, Asia Kitchen and more.
A love child of mandarin orange and common lime, Gondhoraj lebu comes with a thick skin, hard enough to repeal a nonchalant squeeze that is usually enough for its relatives.
Scarce in juice but not in fragrance, the lebu is cut lengthwise to expose pale insides, which when properly squished, lets out a few paltry drops of ambrosia strong enough to waft around the house, inviting all to the dining table.
What’s even more endearing is that Gondhoraj can be used to resurrect any dish to its full potential. From its leaves squashed into a shredded mixture of shutki (dry) fish with generous helpings of green chillies, to using its zest in fresh or dried form on kosha mangsho (spicy chicken or mutton curry) or bhetki paturi (Barramundi Fish cooked by wrapping in banana leaf), Gondhoraj gains full marks in versatility.
But this culinary love affair with Gondhoraj comes to an end, once you step out of the borders of Bengal, because the King is indeed true to its soil, refusing to grow in any place than Bengal.
While in our backyard in Kolkata, its plant grows generously bearing the white flowers in plenty along with the oblong fruits hanging from its soft shoots; attempts to grow the plant from its seeds in Bengaluru and elsewhere have been repeatedly futile.
And, it is this feature that makes it exclusive to Bengal and thus, contributes to its anonymity, as opposed to the Kaffir lime from Thai cuisine, Key limes of the Caribbean or the Canton limes of the Chinese.
“Fine-grain rice—steaming hot—with a good serving of golden moong dal, crispy potato fries and gondhoraj lime is that happy refuge in my head,” is how Purnendu Bose, owner of a Mumbai-based Bengali restaurant, Iti, recalls his tryst with the lime.
“We serve gondhoraj lebu complimentary and I’ve seen fathers watching over excitedly as their de-Bengalied kids inhale what, for these grown men, is a natural extension of their roots,” he adds.
However, despite its rooted relationship with Bengal, its fragrance has never failed to bewitch food connoisseurs in and around the world. And that is how its tantalising fragrance travelled across the seas to England to birth the unique Rangpur-flavour gin, by the famous British gin brand, Tanqueray.
For us, a day before any festival was always the worst. Chaos ensued as my mother single-handedly made all the arrangements. From shopping, cleaning, decoration to food, everything seemed like a mess, waiting to blow up in our faces. But, she would not forget the tradition of Alpona—the traditional Bengali art that has been passed down through generations for many centuries now!
My grandmother taught it to my mother, who did the same for me and my brother. Motifs of sun, lotus, fish, swastika, owl, snake, footprints of goddess Lakshmi, or even abstract designs are meant to be a symbolic welcome to the Gods and the minute creatures of nature, especially during prominent holy festivals like Saraswati Puja (also known as Vasant Panchami), Makar Sankranti, Diwali and Durga Puja.
I remember how, amid all the pandemonium, my mother would still manage to make me a white paste of rice flour and sneak it into my hands. “Go! Make something beautiful,” she would order with a slight smile smoothing away the worry lines from her tense face. I would hurry to the door and sit down to create the intricate patterns and beautiful swirls covering the expanse of a porch or verandah. The only time when I would not get punished for scribbling designs on the floor. It was the best part of the festivals for me, apart from the food, of course.
Roots of the Ritual
An ancient tradition, this laborious ritual of finger-painting geometrical or free-hand motifs, is known by various names in different parts of the country. While in Bengal and Assam, it is known as Alpona, people in Bihar call it Aripana, Jinnuti in Odisha, Rangoli in Maharashtra, Pakhamba in Manipur, Kolam in Tamil Nadu and Apna in Almora and Nainital.
In Bengal, however, we use the term ‘Alpona’ which finds roots in a Sanskrit word called ‘alimpan’, which means ‘to coat’ or ‘plaster’. A few sources also claim that the root of the term could be non-Aryan, derived from ‘ailpona’- the art of making ‘ails’ or embankment, believed to keep homes, neighbourhoods or villages safe and prosperous.
“The designs drawn on the floor have a magical power and presence. They were used as welcoming signs at the entrance of the house, for a guest must be welcomed with grace and elegance. Beauty being equated with godliness, it was also the symbol of good omen and had therefore to be associated with every phase of life,” writes Stephen Huyler in Painted Prayers, Women’s Art in Village India.
Contrary to its contemporaries, Alpona is not dry. It is a liquid paste made of the slurry of atop chaal (refined rice), and was originally drawn on a base of clay mixed with cow dung. Although, predominantly it is white in colour, artists can add hues to the design using turmeric paste for yellow and red clay with vermillion paste for crimson.
Strokes Connecting Communities and Nature
The very fact that Alpona is drawn using rice flour also means that earlier it served as bhutayajna, that is, an offering of rice flour to tiny creatures like ants and other insects as one’s good deed of the day. Further, rice powder is a cleansing element which is traditionally attributed to preventing chicken pox during the summer and is hence applied on the faces of children in several parts of India as a preventive measure.
The ritual, usually practiced by women, is also intertwined with an aspect of self expression. Alponas often associated with broto or vrat (fast) on the one hand, was practiced by married women for their husbands, but, on the other, also emerged as a symbol of expression where they could not only let their imaginations run wild, but also create a safe space of dialogue outside of their houses, in a patriarchal social setup, as observed by Madhupa Bakshi, dean of Media Science Department of Heritage Academy, Kolkata, as well as Rabi Biswas, a practitioner and researcher on the art.
Hence, sprinkled with symbology and traditional wisdom, a stroke of Alpona for generations has continued to tie together the social fabric of Bengal–something that is fading with time–against the ease of chemical paint-dripping brush strokes or worse, plastic sticker rangolis.
Abhishek Saha, is a photojournalist who has been visiting Lankamura, 10 kilometers away from Agartala, Tripura , for almost a decade, for its special Makar Sankranti celebration. Here, the women cover the streets of the village with huge Alpona designs every year.
Speaking to The Better India, about the fading tradition, he says, “It takes almost a week-long labour to create these beautiful pieces of art. And, now the new generation, always stuck to their phones on social media, is choosing to take shortcuts instead of putting much effort. Unfortunately, the art seems to be dying, as the older women told me this time. I hope with my photos, I can show and warn the world what they are about to miss in the next few years, if not preserved!”
The time-taking task of grinding the rice and making a paste for the paint is an emotional and organic testimony that needs to be protected, preserved and passed on, just not as a nostalgic memory, but a substantial social contribution.
It was sometime in the second half of 2018 that I read about a community-run library called Garung Thuk in the tiny village of Shergaon in Arunachal Pradesh. While I usually spend many months of research on solo travel, I was immediately intrigued by this library.
After scouring the internet for some contact number, I found one on a Facebook group. It belonged to Lobsang Tashi, one of its founding members. Soon, I planned my itinerary, booked my flight, and found myself in the picturesque village nestled in a valley.
Dorjee Khandu Thungon, another founding member of Garung Thuk, remarked, “Bollywood goes abroad for scenic locations, and the North-east movie makers come to Shergaon.”
Young Sherdukpans.
And I could understand why.
Being in the temperate region, Shergaon experiences four distinct seasons. As I had visited in Spring, everywhere I looked was a picture-perfect shot, with oak trees sprouting tender red and green leaves, birds chirping and serenading their mates, bees and butterflies buzzing about pollinating flowers, the mountains standing guard in the background and a river gurgling across.
Shergaon is home to the Sherdukpen tribe, who are also spread in the villages of Rupa and Jigaon, 23 and 13 km from Shergaon, respectively. Around 1,000 members of the tribe reside in Shergaon, and everyone knows everybody else.
Originally from Tibet, they migrated here hundreds of years ago. Respect for Nature is deeply ingrained in them and drives their conservation efforts.
The Sherdukpens were primarily hunters and gatherers who also practiced agriculture. With the former being banned by the government, their main sources of income became agriculture and horticulture.
The Garung Thuk community
A close-knit community, they have an incredible sense of pride in their tradition and culture. With the passing away of the elderly who were the repositories of knowledge and ancient wisdom, a group of like-minded people like Lobsang and Dorjee, along with the village council, decided to create a platform for the younger generation. It would help them learn about their culture and take pride in it, while also contribute to society.
With this vision, Garung Thuk, a non-profit organisation, was established in October 2014. Garung Thuk means ‘our village’, and that speaks volumes about the sense of belonging and ownership by its people.
Lobsang and Dorjee have been the helm of many of the initiatives at Garung Thunk. After a PhD in Ethno-Botany, Lobsang is working towards preserving the biodiversity of the region. He has been documenting traditional wisdom about the medicinal properties of plants and trees, knowledge which was common in the previous generations but is now endangered.
Dorjee Thungon, an IIT-Guwahati alumnus, returned to his native Itanagar after having worked in other cities in the country.
In 2015, with Pratham Books, they crowd sourced Rs 45,000, buying a multitude of books of various genres for children. Thus, Garung Thuk also became a community-run library.
(L) The inauguration of the library. (R) A young reader
Instead of inviting prominent personalities or politicians as chief guests, they asked the students, the direct beneficiaries, to inaugurate the library.
Garung Thuk is also at the lead for creating awareness about the rich biodiversity of Shergaon. One such initiative was adopting a stretch of the Choskorong Kho river for five years starting December 2014. They did a fish riverine ranching programme where they released 500 fish fingerlings with the help of the fisheries department.
Felling of trees and fishing was banned along the riverside and in the river, thus allowing them to regenerate with fish, birds and butterflies.
Other environmental activities of this organisation are:
(L) Releasing fingerlings into the river. (R) Bamboo cups
1. Workshops on mushroom cultivation- Shergaon has a wealth of mushrooms. While ambling around the village with Lobsang, we spotted a few women collecting the very rare mushroom Marcella, which sells for approx Rs 2,000 per kg. And because it’s so scarce, people prefer to consume it rather than sell it. On a trek to a mud fort another day, we chanced upon the dork eared fungus. We gathered it, took it home, and just nibbled on it after washing it. Apparently it tastes delicious when cooked with fish.
2. Extensive tree plantation drives are conducted where around 2,000 fruiting trees such as peach, plum, as well as oak have been planted.
3. There are workshops on how to make bamboo cups and mugs so that plastic can be eliminated. In fact, before the infestation of plastic, bamboo was extensively used for crafting cups and mugs; the community is now reverting to its roots.
4. Garung Thuk also periodically invites experts on birds and butterflies to organise workshops to create awareness and pride in the local fauna and flora. An extension of this is photography workshops to facilitate the documentation of the region’s biodiversity.
5. With cheap power loom fabric and ready-made garments flooding the market, as everywhere else in India, the centre is doing a commendable job of reviving handloom. As part of this initiative, expert weavers are called from other states to give inputs on the improvisation of the loom, and they brainstorm on how traditional wear can be made contemporary. I saw some excellently handwoven bags, stoles, and skirts.
6. Community-run homestays are a recent initiative where guests can experience traditional Sherdukpen cuisine, culture, and pristine beauty.
Video on Kro Cheykor festival by the village headman; it received the State Tourism Award in 2017.
An important aspect of the Sherdukpen tribe is ownership of the forests, which are considered sacred. The community takes turns to use the fallen and decaying oak leaves from different areas of the grove to use for mulching in agriculture. Since it’s a sacred grove, it follows naturally that trees are not felled.
To promote and preserve their culture, the 22 members of Garung Thuk have converted an old traditional wooden house into a museum where traditional home utensils and agricultural equipment of yore are displayed. A slice of life from the past is thus preserved so that the younger generation can relate to it and visitors be awed by it.
Garung Thuk also preserves its culture through the annual festival of Kro-Cheykor, which typically falls in May-June every year, where the entire Sherdukpen clan participates with full enthusiasm. The younger generation receives training on the dance moves and songs which have been in practice for hundreds of years.
Traditional food, including wild berries, roots, and fruit foraged from the forest, are served with copious quantities of the locally brewed beer. This is the time when each member of the clan dresses up in traditional attire, complete with the handwoven bag and necks bejewelled with big coral and turquoise beads.
Young men trained in the traditional folk dance.
The centre also conducts workshops on Bhoti script to acquaint the younger generation with it. Other commendable initiatives include medical camps, eye checkups for elders and cataract removal, water tank cleanups, and so forth.
There is no external funding for Garung Thuk and the initiatives are conducted with the help of various organisations and people such as the Divisional Forest Officer Mr Millo Tasser and Itanagar’s Department of Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs.
Garung Thuk is a shining example of how a community can live on ancient principles, in harmony with nature, of how tradition and culture can still survive and be embraced by the younger generations in a world becoming homogeneous by a wave of ‘modernisation’. It provides a proverbial bridge connecting the old with the new, the ancient with the modern. The Sherdukpens are incredibly warm people and excellent hosts. I was happy that I trusted my instincts and travelled to this quaint village, the memories of which will remain with me forever.
(Written by Priya Krishnan Das and Edited by Shruti Singhal)
As a boy, Saptarshi Chakraborty loved festivals, especially Lakshmi Puja.
Like many Bangal (East Bengali) families, this was a grand affair in the Chakraborty household, not just because of the festivities but also the essential—Food. Events like these were examples of how Bengalis intertwine culture with cuisine.
“I would look forward to Lokkhi Pujo. Thamma (paternal grandmother) would cook huge quantities of her widely loved bhuna khichuriand labra to be served to the Goddess, and then to the family and friends. Since, all adults in the household would be fasting, it fell upon me to taste tiny morsels of everything and say if it needed more salt, sugar, etc,” he smiles recalling one of the many precious food memories that shaped the person he is today.
His mother, thamma and dida (maternal grandmother) were the primary sources of his inspiration and the anchor to his roots and his beloved Bengali cuisine.
“In our family, like any quintessential Bengali family, food is important, and everyone is a food critic!” he laughs.
For Insiya Poonawala, things were a tad different. She had spent all her life in Kolkata, but because she did not grow up in a Bengali family, her first taste of Bengali food was at a camp.
“I was in college and a part of a rock climbing camp to Purulia. There, the cook that was travelling with our group had cooked simple daal, bhaat, and torkari(vegetable curry). Amid the hills, that was the first time I experienced Bengali food, and it was love at first gorash (morsel)!” she shares.
Insiya eating ramen at Momofuku, San Francisco (L); Saptarshi filming near New Market, Kolkata (R)
With these fond memories in place, the couple always wanted to work on the city’s diverse cuisine. The idea for the same, however, materialised after they moved to Los Angeles,where they took decades of family food secrets, lots of nostalgia and pure love for food.
Equipped with these ingredients, they soon founded, ‘Bong Eats,’ a YouTube channel where they cook traditional Bengali recipes prepared in thousands of home kitchens, cabins and restaurants of Kolkata.
A gastronomic testimonial to the city’s vibrant food heritage, the channel, today, has over 5 lakh subscribers all across the globe. The duo believe the reason is not just nostalgia, but the minimalist simplicity of the videos and the focus of the channel—to make Bengali food accessible to everyone.
“The main motivation in starting Bong Eats was to document the food of Kolkata, and not just Bengali food. We wanted to create videos that can inspire our generation to go back into the kitchen and start cooking. Bong Eats is for everybody and anybody who loves food. For Bengalis who have stayed in Kolkata or outside, this was a way to help them own their cuisine, not just through nostalgia where only their mothers and grandmothers can cook them, but something which was accessible and can be made by anybody on a daily basis,” says Saptarshi.
Owing to this, every video shows precise tested recipes that employ a step-by-step format walking viewers through all the stages of cutting, preparing, cooking and serving the delicacies.
Talking about the inception, Insiya says that while the idea behind ‘Bong Eats’ took shape in 2008, the channel was finally launched in 2016.
“Saptarshi was working as a front-end engineer, and I was an editor in a publishing house when we began to think about starting something like this. Around 2014, the idea was further fueled when YouTube began to pick up pace, and many recipe videos started to become popular on the internet. We started filming our first set of videos in 2015, when we were in LA. By the time we launched the channel in 2016, we were in San Francisco, so most of our videos were shot there,” she says.
Despite their hectic schedules and full-time jobs, the two have managed to cook, shoot and upload more than 160 recipes in the last three years.
Although they both were equally involved in each stage of video production, the shooting was mostly done by Saptarshi in the weekends and the editing by Insiya, during the weekdays.
Be it the rhythm of a light whisk or the pounding of the dough, or even the sizzle of spices in hot oil, their subtle and straightforward video format with no voice-over, has the potential to defy time and space.
Much like the click of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’s magic slippers, these videos with their soft traditional Bengali background score amid the ambient audio can transport you right into their kitchen, in a matter of seconds!
“Food takes centre stage in our videos. We don’t think we have the personality to pull off being on screen!” laugh Insiya and Saptarshi.
After having inspired lakhs of people with their recipes, the couple quit their jobs and finally moved back home, three months ago, to be in the city which was and is the centre of their project.
“Bong Eats is one of my most favourite channels on YouTube. The quality of the videos is phenomenal, and like many other have pointed out, no one else does Bengali cooking with the passion and accuracy that they do,” says Gayatri Mishra, an ardent follower of the channel.
Saiqua Sultan, another admirer, adds, “The simplicity and the soft traditional music of the region is what that fascinates me the most. Their videos, unlike others, are not over-the-top. They are real and honest.”
Saptarshi eating mutton biryani at Aminia
“Cooking abroad was never a problem, but when we do it back home, the experience is always better in terms of the produce, the ingredients and the guidance,” says Saptarshi, who, after a lot of reflection, picks Mutton Biryani to be one of his most favourite dishes.
For Insiya, the answer comes easy—”Dimer Jhol and bhaat (egg curry and steamed rice)!”
Back in Kolkata, their attempt to demystify Bengali cuisine is about to touch newer heights they say. Busy with preparations for Durga Pujo, they suggest that the next few videos might include more outdoor ventures of discovering and replicating iconic dishes in the city.
Check out their recent Nizam’s style Mutton roll recipe, here:
The two conclude the conversation, saying, “Rather than eating elaborate dishes like chingri malaikari, kosha mangsho or polao in restaurants on weekends; we want more people from our generation to cook simple Bengali food like dal, bhaja, torkari or machh’er jhol at home every day!”
The wait is over for the millions of devotees who look forward to the festival of Navratri spanning nine days. The fervour and excitement that one feels upon entering a pujopandal cannot be described in words – it’s an experience. Each committee goes to great lengths to ensure that their pandal is unique and attracts the maximum footfall. This year, in a move that will certainly leave the environment happy – committees across the country have resorted to adopting eco-friendly measures in setting up and celebrating this festival.
Here is a look at some of the innovative green pandals across the country.
1. Delhi/NCR
The Kashmere Gate Durga Puja is one of the oldest and considered to be a traditional one. Given that the Pollution Control Board has prohibited the immersion of the idol into the Yamuna, the organising committee has created an artificial pond in Burari, 10 km away from their pandal for their 15-ft idol. To ensure that the bhog that is served is also done in an eco-concious manner, they have switched to bowls made of leaves, in place of thermocol ones.
The pandal at Chittaranjan Park, also extremely famous in the national capital, will immerse the idol of the goddess within their premises in a 20 x 8 ft pit. According to this report, the Durga Puja pandal by the Indraprastha Matri Mandir Nirman Society at Aradhana Park in IP Extension has gone further and used recycled items sourced from junkyards and scrap dealers. With gas cylinders for heads and steel scrap for bodies, the idols are decorated with used bulbs and soft drink cans.
In Gurugram, at the Sushant Lok pandal, celebrating its 20th year, women have decided to take charge of all the preparations. In an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint, the women have resorted to using cycles while stepping out to procure all things needed for the pandal.
A rough estimate suggests that there are currently about 2,652 Durga Pujas in Kolkata. A city, which celebrates Durga Puja with immense joy, has also taken into consideration the strain that a celebration of such proportions can have on the environment.
According to this report, at Khidderpore 25 Palli, on the western fringes of the city, around 5 lakh plastic bottles are being used to embellish the pandal and generate awareness on global warming.
Debashish Kumar one of the key organisers of the Tridhara Sammilani, a big-ticket Durga Puja in South Kolkata, claims to have shunned plastic. “The entire arena of our Puja is a plastic free zone. We take this very seriously. Apart from working with KMC for waste management, we also take extra care to ensure that our festival does not flout any green norm.”
The Maddox Square Puja Committee will be using sal leaves and earthern glasses during the bhog distribution.
3. Meghalaya
With around 42 committees organising Durga Puja across the city, the Central Puja Committee (CPC) has issued strict guidelines that each committee must adhere to.
Some of the highlights are:
• Abstain from using plastic in any form
• No chemical paints to be used on the idol
• Eco-friendly decorating items to be used
• Use energy-saving lighting
• Depositing all flexes which can be recycled and reused
While the artists at the Nayapalli Durga puja committee in Bhubhaneshwar found the idea of ditching the plastic challenging to begin with, they have substituted it with inedible wild fruits from forests to design the pandal. They are also using other biodegradable items like sea shells and conches to build a replica of Rajasthan’s Padmavat Palace.
According to this report, Narayan Mohapatra, who is also a member of the Shaheed Nagar Durga Puja committee, said that they will be taking every possible step for a plastic-free country.
“We will not use plastic flowers for decoration. If devotees come up with plastic bags for prasad, we will be dumping those in the eco-friendly dustbins that have been installed in the pandal. Also, we will be serving prasad in plates made of leaves and bamboo.”
5. Ranchi
Rajendra Singh, President OCC Club & Puja Committee, according to this report, said, “There will be no use of plastic in and around the pandal premises. Special attention is being paid to ensure that the entire ground is clean at all times and nothing is littered. Separate dustbins will also be placed for dry and wet waste. Even the food stall owners will be urged to make minimum use of plastic and instead opt for paper plates and cups.”
Bamboo, coconut rope, and hay are the primary materials being used this year. In order to ensure that the garbage doesn’t mount up at the pandals, a garbage collection van will be doing the rounds every few hours.
In the spirit of everything around us going green, the pandals in the country have outshone themselves too. Here’s hoping that all festivals and huge celebrations go plastic-free too.
If you have visited a pandal that you are particularly impressed by, do write to us.
On a damp Sunday, with the sun shrouded under a sky full of humongous grey-tinted clouds, a gloom spreads through the air. Even a hot, piping cup of tea with onion fritters doesn’t seem to do the trick.
But, just before melancholia threatens to set in, a sharp fragrance of crumb-coated fish cutlets dropping into a pan of hot oil comes to the rescue.
It’s not so much about the beautiful and crisp cutlets, as it is about what accompanies it—Kasundi, a big dollop of grainy golden wonder.
A dangerously delicious culinary bomb of flavours, Kasundi is not just another mustard sauce, nor a preserve for the faint-hearted. It is well-deservingly the queen of pickles, and Bengal’s prized possession!
Yes, pickle. Kasundi deftly dwells in a myriad of culinary realms and its multifaceted avatar allows it to be a sauce, pickle and even an ingredient, all at the same time!
Be it the beautiful symphony that it creates when mixed with a gorash(morsel) of panta bhaat (fermented rice), the explosion of spices when dunk into with a chunk of fish or meat kabiraji, or the titillating duet it plays when used as marination or gravy in your usual non-vegetarian dish—Kasundi is sharp, loud and in no way close to its subtle and sweet Western cousins.
The stuff of legends, a spoonful of good quality Kasundi in the mouth is known to lead to watery eyes and clear any nasal congestion instantly. The only other food item that can probably deliver a similar punch is wasabi paste.
Today, after having thrived within the borders of Bengal, amongst generations of families and roadside telebhaja (fried snacks) shops, Kasundi has successfully made its debut across international restaurants and supermarkets, steadily multiplying its fanbase.
And, while the world goes gaga over this wonder sauce, let’s take a few steps backwards, and trace the origin of Bengal’s food legend!
Meet the Queen of pickles
A sauce made by fermenting mustard seeds, Kasundi was initially used as a type of achar (meaning pickle and ritual), that could survive all seasons, even over two decades, if stored in the right conditions!
But, it is the preparation of this Kasundi achar, which makes its journey even more interesting.
A highly auspicious ritual, Kasundi-making would usually begin in the month of Magh (January to February), the mustard harvesting time.
But, pickle-making had to be done in a certain chronology as per the harvest—first Kul-er achar (Jujube berry pickle), followed by Tentul-er achar (tamarind pickle), mango and finally the mustard, just before the monsoons arrived.
Unfortunately, it was also entangled in an orthodox caste-based and patriarchal cultural set-up.
As per the rituals which highly emphasised on maintaining its purity, only Brahmins were once allowed to prepare the auspicious food.
While women would only be allowed to wash and dry the seeds, the men then prepared the rest of the recipe. Also, owing to several social taboos and conservative ideas of purity, menstruating women and widows were never allowed to touch the pots or bottles kept for fermentation.
Additionally, families who had endured a tragedy while preparing Kasundi in the past, were barred from performing the ritual.
This aspect of purity would then extend to further strictures around its consumption. For instance, Kasundi was once strictly served with vegetarian dishes only. Any contact with ‘polluting’ foods like meat, fish or eggs was considered blasphemous.
But, decades later, thanks to social reforms, these exclusionary measures are now a thing of the past!
Beyond its socio-cultural significance, Kasundi’s pure and unique taste would largely depend on the unique combination of indigenous fruits and dried greens in the recipe. Additionally, what sets apart Kasundi in general, is that every family has its own recipe and ritual.
For instance, in some recipes, dry, ground mustard with or without mustard oil would be pickled along with dried greens like coriander, pudina and amrul.
Then there were those which would also combine the mustard powder with salt, dry chillies, turmeric and mustard sauce. Some others added dried and ground spices like kalonji (Nigella seeds), jeera, fennel, ajwain, methi, cloves, green and black cardamom, radhuni (wild celery seeds), pippali (long pepper), kebabchini (cubeb pepper), dried mangoes and tamarind, dried berries, jaiphal (nutmeg), javitri (mace), and tamarind.
Another variety included ‘Gota Kasundi’, which was a dry mixture of various spices and dry ground fruits, sprinkled as an ingredient in vegetarian dishes, to enhance their flavour.
While these versions are traditional to Bengal, the more popular one is locally known as the Jhal Kasundi (fiery and spicy Kasundi).
It is usually made of dry ground mustard seeds, both black and yellow, mixed with water, salt and 12 types of spices like turmeric, dry red chillies, coriander, bay leaf, pepper, ginger, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, radhuni, green cardamom, kalonji and javitri.
Once this mixture is ready, the next step is to add green mango paste as a souring agent.
One essential point to remember is that Kasundi cannot be prepared in the humid weather. So to ensure absolute sanitised conditions, the ritual of making it begins with the sun-drying of mustard seeds to eliminate its bitterness and arouse a striking pungency.
These are then ground into a powder, mixed with spices and green chillies into a thick paste or sauce, and tightly bottled with a muslin cloth at the mouth and left to ferment. After a few days of fermentation in a dry, cool place, the wondrous golden pickle is ready to relished.
Coated in history, culture, politics and pure culinary brilliance, Kasundi is now a muse for many chefs and food experts all over the world. A base for various experimental premium dishes, it is now gastronomic royalty, with various diluted imitations making its way to supermarkets.
But despite all the hullabaloo around it, for a quintessential Bengali steeped in the nostalgia of romanticising food, Kasundi is not just another expensive condiment.
It is, in the truest possible sense, the taste of home.
