Menoculayshunal; Second Helpings

Last week you were introduced to the basic diet which was consumed in the ashram. I also mentioned that there often celebration feasts. That is when there would be opportunities to eat a lot more than usual, and there would be lots of choices and often there would be that rarity - salad. One had to take care around that, of course, ensuring the caterers washed in filtered water and handled hygienically. This was easy to ascertain as the food was generally prepared in the open for all to witness.  The other great boon from these (and some festivals, was the sweets. Indian sweets are something else!!!

For students and staff of Sandeepany, there were the additional great occasions of various festivals in which the kitchen would go into hypercook! 

Onam was especially important, given much of the mission comes out of Keralan background (Gurudev was born there). At its heart, it is a harvest festival, though there are all sorts of legends that go along with it. After performing all necessary sacred rituals, comes the most delicious and wonderful banana-leaf feast... and our Br Samvid, the Sanskrit tutor, took over as head chef. There is no end to that man's talents!!! Nothing pleased him more than to be asked his recipes. I still make the okra fries and pineapple chatni his way. Oh my, I drool even as I remember those days...

Pongal was another south Indian mela (Tamil), but ties in closely with those from other states such as Makar Sankranti. Both these are, again, harvest festivals, but are specific to the end of one season and the start of another; summer to autumn in the south and winter to spring in the north. Pongal is also the word for the dish which is prepared, in the open. the word 'mela' means fair or carnival and relates all the joyous activities that go on throughout the day - we kept it fairly decorous, but often it can include circus and boat races and such like. We simply played tag, or played word games and so on. Again, Samvid-ji would direct food preparation. The key thing being the Pongal prep. Much of the fun was around taking turns to load in the rice, to wave the flames to keep the fires going, to sharing jokes with the swamis and each other... and, eventually, to sitting and enjoying the food.

Other great festivals included Krishnajanmaashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Deepavali, Christmas (yes!), Ram Navami and, the really key one for us as the mandir is dedicated to that lord, Mahaa Shivratri, the night of Sri Shiva. Every hand in the place had to be occupied in something or other. This will be written about further.

Before finishing today, I have to tell you about the mango season. A great many of the trees populating the compound were different mango species. The administration ordered in marketeers who would harvest the crop, paying for the privilege, but always leaving room to up the price in their markets. The local langur teenagers tended to have fun at that time - sometimes using the less ripe fruit to bombard the brahmacharis! 

There was an abundance and it has to be said, gathering fruit for oneself was not difficult. If it had fallen from the tree it was fair game. I just could not get enough of them (have always been a mangoholic). I even prepared some of them into kulfi - ice cream! Not all for myself of course. I treated my boys and friends.

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Please note that the menoculayshunal posts will be on hold for the month of April. You know, that A-Z thing... 

we will return to tales of Sandeepany in May.