Goddess Laxmi's footprints at our door and oil lamps to show her the way and welcome her to our home.
She has taken her seat in our home and we promise to take good care of her and accept her blessings. We also promise that what we get as blessings we shall share with the deserving.
While I did all the preps for the Laxmi poojan, hubby was busy doing Muhurta trading while the stock market was open today in the evening especially for this day.
While that was our evening, our morning was chilled out as my Dad visited us and we went out for lunch to A.Rama Nayak 's Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding.
Yele oota with my Dad. There was tender chavali, ashgourd, double bean and potatoes with puri. Sambar, rasam, curd with rice and papad. Butter milk to sip thru the meal and citron pickle to lick on. We opted for Dudhi halwa along with the meal. My Bawa hubby is a proper Non vegetarian so he does not eat at vegetarian places except sweets so he ate two, Dudhi halwa and gulab jamun.
That is our Narak Chaturdashi celebrations in pics. In the morning I kept out the waste and prayed "Eeda Peeda Jaoo de". It is the day of abolishment of evil represented by Narakasur by the Goddess Kali.
Every year even though the home was deep cleaned for Diwali, my mother would sweep the house and dust the corners collecting some dust and then lighting a diya in the dust and offering haldi kunku to a new broom. Aai prayed that all eeda-peeda all obstacles and illnesses be banished from our life. Its a very vivid memory for me, the ceremonial oil massage and bath with fragrant Uttana, an ayurvedic powder. Following which we smashed the Kaarita a bitter fruit for a symbolic destruction of evil. The juice is tasted as blood and we swear to live a happy and righteous life.
After the head bath which is mandatory everyone sat down to a festive breakfast of Faral, sweets and savories.
Our faral at home today consisted of Rava and dried coconut Karanji, Bhajani chakli, Tikhat shev, Shankarpali, Rava ladoo, Besan ladoo, Maharashtriya Motichoor ladoo, Patal pohyancha chivda, Bhajakya pohyancha chivda, Chaurichi Karanji and Kadboli (not in pic).
I put Rangoli, lit ghee lamps for my pooja, the Bawa and me put up the Kandeel and oil lamps together. He was pensive for just a moment missing his parents, sister and Bapaiji and then became cheery that Diwali was back in his home after a long gap.
Let the light eradicate the darkness is our lives.
Here is the Parsi style pooja thali called Ses. It has the cone of sugar called Soparo that symbolizes a mountain of sweetness. The round Pigani to keep vermilion paste to apply on the forehead. The Gulabaz, a rose water sprinkler. A bowl of milk to bathe the coins. A coconut and a flower garland. A covered Divo or oil lamp is also part of this Ses, we had lit it outside the platter.
Parsis have assimilated so much of Indian culture. Today the Bawa was more enthusiastic than me to do the pooja. This is our first Diwali after marriage.
Happy Dhanteras! from our Parsi - Koli household. Hope yours is good too.
She is a family friend, writer, dreamer and a passionate marathoner and fitness freak. She has hopped onto AnnaParabrahma Eshop to bring to us spice blends from her kitchen that get one hungry. Being a South Indian her specialities are the Dakshini pudis.
We are introducing Rasam, Sambar, Bisibele bhaat, Garlic chutney and Pepper rasam pudis right now and more to follow. So watch this space.
I am also inviting Janaki to write here so you get her authentic recipes too for these products.
Last two days left to order your Diwali Faral. Order by last date : 23 Oct 2016 . Deliveries between 25-26 Oct 2016 for Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Shipping to other cities on 26th Oct.
I was born at a hospital near Opera House while my parents lived in our Colaba home in the Koli community. I am a native of Mumbai. When I was 8yrs my father moved us to a more cosmopolitan area in Fort. When you live in South Mumbai everything is convenient. You walk to school. The markets are just at the end of the lane. The best theaters, stadiums, clubs etc are all at walkable distance. Even the Oval maidan and Azad maidan and several small gardens like Horniman circle and Band stand were a fresh breath of energy. The sea front just a short cab ride away. The best materialistic things in life were available and accessible in South Mumbai if you had the money.
Just read this article and had an urge to write this immediately.
However when YOU have the best, everyone else comes to get the best too. So in SOBO we saw huge morchas gathering at Kala ghoda that extended right upto Flora fountain. This rarely happens now but this year when it happened it brought the city to a stand still. Remember the protests about the Ambedkar house?
The roads are old and not enough to handle the pressures of modern day migrants coming to Mumbai. Still people come in large numbers from far off places to follow their aspirations. They never think where they will live? What will they eat?
While the vada pao is the cheapest item available in Mumbai it is not a nutritious meal. A proper square meal would cost anything between 100 - 150 Rs. in a small eatery.
pic credit: Indian express
A labor class person will never be able to afford a home in Mumbai and will live in a shanty or jhopadpatti all his life. There are many low rung corporate people who also live in shanties in the beginning of their careers because accommodation is so expensive. If you are a family and in a decent job that is moving to Mumbai. Think about this, you will never save enough to send money for your parents. You will never be able to afford a home in your working life. Be prepared to live with huge financial burdens all your life.
The local trains are the lifeline of the city. If you have never commuted on them in your life, come and experience it once at peak hours if you are planning to move to this city. That one experience will make you change your decision.
Recently I took my maid’s daughter to KEM hospital for treatment. I went back to a government hospital after two decades and saw the state of the hospital. You will find the secret to how our doctors get trained so well. Millions of people with thousands of types of diseases come here from across the country. You will always have to go to a private hospital for treatment. Imagine the plight of people who do not have medical insurance.
Growing up travelling by BEST bus, which by the way is one of the really best transport services was a nightmare when commuting only a few kms from Regal to Handloom house would take 1 hour 30 mins way back in 1986. The one way traffic rules have now eased life in South Mumbai but still its only marginal. Ever since those days I had sworn to move out of Mumbai.
It took me 7 working years to get an opportunity to move to Bangalore. When I moved there it wasn’t the infrastructure mess it is now. It was a just expanding city back in 2005. The growth was a rapid 25kms radius to 250 kms radius. I chose to live first in newer developments in BLR in Ramamurthy Nagar. For a Mumbai bred like me it was fascinating, lived in a bunglow with an overgrown open space in the front. The paths muddy and undeveloped. If it had been Mumbai suburban extensions first get roads, light and water. Here though the electricity was available I was not used to one day without electricity as loading shedding! Electricity never failed in Mumbai and if it did it was may be 1 day in a few years. The tap ran water only on alternate days. I was used to a 24 hrs water supply in Mumbai.
I chose to live frugally, was enjoying it until I was targeted and my home burgled. I lost everything that I had collected to buy a plot in BLR. After which I moved to a rented bunglow in Mysore Bank colony. Lived there for 7 years among staunch Madhva brahmins. I was loved because I was an outsider but I also saw the play of caste system and food preference as the underbelly, something you don’t know exsists being a Mumbaikar and cosmopolitan.
I have lived across Mumbai from birth, 8 yrs in Colaba, 8yrs in Fort, 12 years in Chembur in a piece of heaven called Tata Power Colony, 7 years in Navi Mumbai then in between 7.5 yrs in Bangalore and was back in Navi Mumbai in 2012. Until I got married and moved to the center of Mumbai, where I live now. I am fortunate to finally live in a place which is prime area yet peaceful only until I step out for errands. I now work from home and go to office may be just once a week and meet family and friends may be once a week. I am blessed because I don’t commute. I have a green canopy to soothe my screen tired eyes. I have got lucky to have this life at middle age not because I worked for it but because of the SUPER POWER that controls our life. I still cannot afford to buy a home out of my own savings.
If you think Mumbai has more opportunities and you are prepared to sacrifice your peaceful life from where you are moving. You are prepared to accept that you will always live on the edges and not be able to save for a better life. Only then move to Mumbai.
Else choose a place where you will be able to have a work and family life balance. Those of you who are not born in Mumbai please think hard and go back from where you came or find a better place. It’s a hard decision make it now!
Yes its 10 years since I began blogging while I was in Bangalore. Last year I did this 'Adda with Kalyan'. It sums up very well my journey as a blogger as we chat up with other regional bloggers.
The blog has been my place to pour my heart ever since I wrote the first post. It was my broadcast system for my family and friends. Readers followed and the anonymity of an alias allowed some speaking to the universe in those days.
In the early days it was fun to read other food blogs and make friends with Indian and a few non Indian bloggers across the globe. I have made some friends whom I treasure. Some made it a point to meet me when visiting India like P of Evolving Tastes , Manisha of Indian Food Rocks and Nupur of One Hot Stove. Among the bloggers from my birth city Mumbai Saee of My Jhola and author of Crumbs and Harini of Tongue Ticklers were the first who came to meet me when I wasn't well. Then IFBM 2014 happened and I met 40 bloggers from across the country. This continues and the most recent one I met is blogger buddy Kalyan Karmakar's (Finely Chopped) mother Mrs. Rekha Karmakar - Tabulous Mom.
What was started as a hobby has now become a full time business. AnnaParabrahma began as a blog. Then I started helping a women's group sell their Diwali Faral. There was a demand from readers and friends for Koli masala so started retailing it. After I left my job as Knowledge Manager for one of India's top IT services company it was only natural to use my experience to set up the Eshop www.annaparabrahma.com.
This year we are moving from being a single brand shop to a multi-brand market place. We have signed up with Home Chefs to bring to you specialties from different communities and delicious signature creations. We have Parsi Pickles by Zenobia Schroff, Cookies by Bimba Nayak and South Indian spice blends by Janaki Nagaraj.
Some other interesting milestones :
In the last couple of years I have enjoyed writing for India Food Network.
I do Experience with Me session on Koli cuisine, where I take the curious foodies on a Fish market tour followed by a cook and eat together.
On the personal front the blog has seen me move from Bangalore back home to Navi Mumbai and marriage brought me back to Mumbai, the city of my birth. It has documented my life as a single working woman to a married woman. A life full of learning and passion for staying happy no matter what.
#DecadeOfAnnaParabrahma is a long time and looking back brings up a multitude of memories. We will continue to celebrate through the year. Won't you join in?
Chef Bimba Nayak has spent 43 years in the Hotel Industry. Working a major part of her career in the Royal kitchens of Kuwait. She is an expert pastry chef and more. While she teaches cooking and baking she also churns out delicious cookies for us. Introducing 5 types of cookies on our Eshop.
Cashewnuts in every bite. Buttery and nutty.
The crunch from the corn flakes and the bite into the cookies. Such a delightful explosion of textures in the mouth.
Made with imported chocolate. There is the dark chocolate in the dough and choco chips bursting into the mouth with every bite.
Tutti Fruiti Biscuits are rich with goodness of milk and fun from the tutti fruiti.
Butter biscuits made with the best butter, rich and crunchy.
