Reading Time: 3 minutes
Ruchira celebrates winter and the harvest brings many celebrations, in various parts of the country, known as Nabanna (Poush) Sakranti, Bihu, Pongal, Lohri, etc. An exclusive for Different Truths.
I simply love winter season. Short days, long nights, there is a nip in the air, and chilly winds continue to blow. There is frost on window panes and dew drops on the grass. Hands and feet occasionally grow numb; people can be seen making a dash to bask in the sun whenever the opportunity arises. Woollens, flannels, furs are out and you find everybody swaddled from tip to toe going about their daily chores.
Throughout the winter months the mountainous areas and higher reaches lie buried under a heavy mantle of snow. It is breathtaking picture of immaculate whiteness!
This is a general picture of winter in the Indian plains, though the hilly regions present a different picture. Throughout the winter months the mountainous areas and higher reaches lie buried under a heavy mantle of snow. It is breathtaking picture of immaculate whiteness! However sport and adventure enthusiasts make a beeline to the hills for all sorts of outdoor activities.
India being by and large a tropical country, the inhabitants are unfamiliar with the harsh savage winter that prevails in the continents of Europe and North America. I still recall a vivid description of European (read British) winter in a poem from the book of verse that we would read in primary class:
“January brings the snow;
Makes our feet & fingers glow.”
and still later,
“Chilly December brings the sleet
Blazing fire & Christmas treat”
In India, such cozy ambience is still to be found in affluent homes located in posh hill towns – Shimla, Dalhousie, Naintal, and Mussoorie among others
In India, such cozy ambience is still to be found in affluent homes located in posh hill towns – Shimla, Dalhousie, Naintal, and Mussoorie among others – which retain and cherish the vestiges of the Raj.
Even otherwise, in case you are in the habit of browsing through English classic novels or short stories, your imagination is bound to be set on fire with images of well-appointed living rooms, muted lights and a roaring fire, elderly women settled in rocking chairs, knitting, a cat curled up on a mat before the fire, photographs and bric-a-brac gleaming on the mantelpiece; men, women seated on sofas, steaming cups of tea and cookies being handed around, conversation ensuing in hushed tones…
By the way, we are all familiar with how the traditional Kashmiri manages to keep him/herself warm – by slipping in a live kangri underneath his/ her phiran.The warmth lasts till the embers die down.
In contrast, in average Indian homes even today– when room heating appliances
are readily available – folks are seen snuggling into thick quilts and/or blankets, feasting on scrumptious pakoras, crunchy peanuts or sipping hot tea in glass tumblers At neighbourhood crossroads, lanes and alleys, small groups of men huddle over small fires, trying to infuse some warmth into their chilled frames. By the way, we are all familiar with how the traditional Kashmiri manages to keep him/herself warm – by slipping in a live kangri underneath his/ her phiran.The warmth lasts till the embers die down.
In a lighter vein, winter is the time when you may skip your daily ablutions and yet manage to feel fresh enough. But perhaps the greatest bonus of Indian winter is that on sunny afternoons you could enjoy long naps on your terrace, garden or courtyard till the sun begins to slide westward. Talking about warmth, my heart goes out to friends, relatives and acquaintances living in Europe & US who complain about not being able to enjoy winter sunshine.
In our country winter season is synonymous with harvest festivals namely Nabanna (Poush) Sakranti, Bihu, Pongal, Lohri, etc. At the end of harvesting season, freshly reaped grains, cereals and other natural produce e.g., jaggery, sesame, coconuts, peanuts are borne home.
In our country winter season is synonymous with harvest festivals namely Nabanna, (Poush) Sakranti, Bihu, Pongal, Lohri, etc. At the end of harvesting season, freshly reaped grains, cereals and other natural produce e.g jaggery, sesame, coconuts, peanuts are borne home. Home makers and womenfolk dish up delectable dishes with them. An atmosphere of plenty and prosperity pervades all. It is time for feasting and merry-making.
Photos from the Internet
