It is a traditional seaside village which has managed to retain a lot of its charm and character. There is plenty to see and adore. Well, now it’s no more a village yet the life is still so simple there.
The bamboo bed frame creaks as I sit up. I hear the sharp “to trick or to treat” calls of the grey Bulbuls in a tree outside, roosters crowing, donkeys braying, children crying, and goats wailing. The first wife in the family I lived with is already up and using a mortar and pestle to pound coos to make porridge for breakfast. I un-tucked my mosquito net and flip it up over the plastic tarp that I have tied above it to protect my bed from the dust that falls from the thatch roof. I go into my back yard to the pit latrine. The sun has not yet risen, but there is just enough light to see by. A smell of smoke fills the air, coming from the cooking fire in my host-family’s cooking-hut. I dress and walk out of my front door to greet whoever else is around. Greeting people is an important thing to do in village life. I could see the host has planned a bonfire there called Bhogi Manta..Woow.. That’s all I needed to beat the cold there.
Here comes the amazing part, to find a place to attend the nature calls...I crossed the compound (a ring of thatch roof huts connected by a straw fence and concrete wall) and walked around the cooking hut to where the garden is. There is a five square meter space surrounded on three sides by chicken wire nailed to several posts dug into the ground. The fourth side consists of the concrete wall that runs along one side of my compound. Buckets of water in a large, blue, plastic waste bin were kept in one corner of the garden. An old plastic chocolate spread container with holes punched into it served as my watering can. Now don’t ask me details about the water can used for the loosing purpose.
I close and tie shut the gates, then check the fence to ensure that the various goats, donkeys, and sheep that roam the village cannot break in. Chickens, however, were unavoidable pests. They frequently flew over the inappropriately named “chicken wire” and scratched up the fertilizer. Well… I don’t wanna elaborate more ..:-P
During the day time, yet misty but a slight pinch of the rising sun ..Beautiful is the sight along the Ghats of the River Krishna. I could see quite a lot of buffalos bathing and of course some natives doing their household activities there. And amazing were the kids flying kites along the river side…I remember those days when we used to bunk school for flying kites. . Running on the roads, climbing trees, jumping rooftops. But being here is different...It’s more of pet puja than some activity. It’s more like crazily honored by every person there with Drinks, sweets, snacks, and loads of food.
Amusing part of this festival is people get dressed up too good in the traditional wear and spread rangolis in front of their houses. And it is also untold competition amongst the neighbors who spread it best . Along with it , the put heaps of cow dung called as Gobbillu ..Then comes the Haridasu with nandi as a part of tradition.People here leave no option of decorating their houses as if it is a traditional wedding. Its just so fantastic to be around .. say it that delicate flower fragrance or the soft human relations ..its the best :D
Kids here don care anything.. Let it rain; let it shine...it never bothered. And yeah music is the best. Well that was the best of folk you get to hear and sing in this festival. By the end of the day they had sore throats, manja cuts, dry skin, life time guarantee of tan, and a lot of smiles.
Irony about flying kites in Hyderabad last year was, when we all (friends) went to the terrace of my house and tried to fly a kite but all thanks to the apartments around .Every kite I tried to fly was eventually stuck to some wire or to the clothes hanging in someone’s balcony. After 1 hour of trying, I thought "fck this" and we went online, logged on to www.miniclip.com and played Kite Flying online.
That’s it, a tradition a hobby which we learnt, loved and lived to do for the past 20 years was dead.
Yeah back to my village story … Well.. Temples are the highlight here apart from the kites flying. I visited quite a lot …at least to save my life from the excessive hospitality. My 2 days stay did leave me hogging every damn sweet there, every damn snack of Andhra specials, every damn variety of rice specials and unlimited pickles . Few I remember eating were Aarisa, bobbattu , punugulu , cut mirchi, ulava charu , tomato bajji, mirchi bajji , madatha kaja …and cane juice, water melon slices with salt coat .. awesome ..
This is for the guys out there. You get to see awesome desi girls..Damn better than you’re so called “smoking hot “super models. Oh yeah … FYI … I was helped by few young ladies there to get dressed in that traditional wear.
Overall it’s amazing to live the festivity in such soothing, innocent, simple place where everything in the name of culture is preserved with high regard to humanity and of course it is nice to take a day off from the busy schedules.
Well .. What ever I may do in future, how ever busy I might be.
I am sure there will be always time for Sankranthi - the best festival ever.
For the love of the festivity,
Sandiee
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