Wednesday

North India winters




In Punjab its cold and brrrrr at this time of the year. Very cold.

Open fields. Sarson in full bloom and o boy! It is a sight for sore urban eyes. A town that is bursting at its seams , the bullock cart and the sedan both jostling for space on the same over crowded market road, the havelis almost touching its neighbors walls on its 3 sides. The warm sun trickling into the courtyard in the center of the haveli and the charpais being laid out to sun ourselves. Hot paranthas being served with a tall glass of warm milk and ghee, breakfast and conversations and the entire extended family together over a weekend. Can be heart warming and so very different from my daily city life.

Days later drive into Delhi , struggling with the onslaught of city population and urbanization. Smell of food, and CO2 emissions mixing together to cause nausea. Not withstanding the onslaught, making our way to the tiny lanes of old Delhi to eat Dalebe’s hot ghee soaked jalebis. And Lohrilals aloo rasewala and kulchas. No place for the driver to park the car, so double park it brazenly and invite him to eat along. Or better still have him served in the car while we stand amongst the many others rubbing shoulders with all socio economic classes to get the soul food.

Making our way past Janpath (my mums maternal home), I cant help but reflect on the summer days in Delhi when we used to sleep under the open skies in the garden lawns. We were in class 6, 7, and 8 then. There was no light, sound or other pollution at that time. By 10pm we would be done with dinner and all would move to the well laid out khatayis beckoning us in the gardens. I remember initially as a city slicker I was way too afraid to sleep in the open lawns as my cousin would have my back up with stories of she devils living on those trees that looked down on me as I lay on the cot in the open air. Eyes squeezed tightly shut, having moved my cot closer to mum n dads, I would slowly feel my lids becoming heavy with sleep .The universe was there to comprehend in all it's fairy tale glory. The stars and the moon would create a magical world for us glistening at arms length. I would search for the rabbit inside the moon and spot it without fail every night as I’d lie on the cot in the garden by night.

In those days we would travel as a big family from Bombay by train to Delhi and the journey in itself was a huge holiday. Packed with food and chocolates and water flasks and tea thermos’s. The added zing to the journey was the many stations where the train would stop we'd alight and then jump back on promptly in case the train started and left us behind! And of course my parents delight drinking tea in those beautiful kulhads at some railway stations en route to Delhi, my mum buying Surahi’s by the dozen because she was fascinated with these earthen wares for drinking water that tasted like straight from earth- pure and clean and then lugging it back to Bombay! Simplicity had a different meaning then:)

10 comments:

melinda said...

I hate being out of the country for so long, and I seriously miss Delhi bad. Now you have successfully made me pine for my land again. Like I need an excuse:)

Anon said...

Come and stay with me in Delhi Mee, we'll have fun honest. This is the best time to be here. Block your tickets and get here soon!:) Runa

Neelu said...

Oh you bet.......those were the days my friend. Some parts of my childhood in Jharkhand were like that.

Jim said...

You make winter in North India sound very romantic:)

Mike said...

winters in ireland are deep freezing! its brrrr all the way and living in heaters all the time does take its toll am afraid

kay said...

wow u had me reminicing my holidays in jullunder. those were the days. u said it the kullad chais and all.thanks for that whiff of of the past.

sanjiv said...

Paani from the surahi tastes like amrit Mee. And chai from the kulhads has the smell and taste of our land. It is the way to live. Not with fine bone china n expensive bottled water:(

sheila said...

I have lived my growing years in a small town in the north of India - and they were most joyous. I think living simple uncomplicated lives is something we all need to learn. Talking of the winters they at times were bitter and most often the killer was waking in the early hours for school - was impossible to get out of a warm bed:( :)

gita said...

Makki di roti n sarson da saag. Hot milk. Jalaebis n amratis. Channa bhaturas n chatpata achaar of mango or chillies. Hot mathis n guud shakaparae... How I could go on abt the winters in the north:) its time to go thr for a short while again:)

Shweta said...

We finish college and head to cp and nerulas- its our hangout and then by evening some friends we wrap up dinner at our respective homes then collect together at the end of our lane and warm ourselves for a smoke - the last of the day - alongwith some heart warming campfire lit by the street folks who genrously share their fire with us:) its lovely:)