It is fascinating how traditions intertwine across cultures and time! From their ancient origins celebrating the Goddess Eostre to their adoption into Christian Easter customs, hot cross buns carry layers of symbolism and significance. The transition from pagan rituals to Christian symbolism, with the cross representing Christ's sacrifice and the spices his embalming, highlights the... Continue Reading →
Holi - the Festival of Colours is intimately associated with Thandai (a cooling summer drink) and Bhang (cannabis) in North India especially in Uttar Pradesh. The intoxicating combination heralds the beginning of summers in this part of India. As the name itself suggests, thandai means providing refreshing coolness from the summer heat. And consumption of... Continue Reading →
They say Banarasi boli is sweet - the dialect spoken in the city. But what I miss the most is the chaat and the sweets of Banaras, and of course, the old world charm of exploring the city via its galis and gazing into the unknown across the Ganges while sitting on its ghats. Varanasi... Continue Reading →
I generally read 4-5 books at a time, couple of them as physical books and rest on Kindle. But the restlessness over the last 3 months during the Corona Lockdown has made this reading pile run into a dozen odd books, I have picked up serious heavy books only to abandon them in favour of... Continue Reading →
The fight for Indian Independence was fought at many levels - from the boycott of foreign made clothes, to making salt and by making statement through food. And Banaras (Varanasi) led the way by creating special mithai (sweets) during the Independence movement and the most famous of that is the Tirangi Barfi of Banaras. The... Continue Reading →
Festivals in India are closely linked with food especially in UP households where there is different menu for each festival. Even though Punjabis, since we lived in Banaras our food habits have been influenced by UP-Bihar traditions and some from the home rituals followed by my maternal Grandmother. In almost all the households of our... Continue Reading →
Banarasi khana is unique in its taste - very different from its Western UP counterpart or even Punjabi cuisine. Banarasi cuisine over centuries has created its own taste with influence from Bihar and Bengal, even taken inspiration from Muslim rulers and inhabitants. In Banaras, one even finds an Italian pizzeria, a Japanese restaurant or a... Continue Reading →
All households have their set traditions - either flowing through generations of forefathers or created because of modern family demands. And like most of them, we also have set traditions in our house for different festivals and most of them revolve around the food. One of the very basic and most frequently exhibited tradition is... Continue Reading →
