That Precious Bicycle

Raju was visiting the village fair after ages.

There were many shops selling interesting fare.

Raju's eyes fell on a bicycle.

It had many precious memories.

Photo Prompt - Alicia Jamtaas

Containing his excitement, he asked the price. 

The shop-owner quoted an exorbitant amount.

5 Reasons Why We Must Save Photos In Online Albums

I love clicking photographs.
I feel I am capturing memories.
However, I rarely use or share such photographs. They largely remain confined to my digital device's memory and are housed in privacy.
I have used a few for posting to my blog, but the vast majority remain stored and scarcely get a double look, thereby defeating the purpose why they were clicked.

You may wonder- why don't I post my photographs online?
Like everyone else, even I can upload to photo-sharing social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or to the available online photo-albums, right?
The reality is - my profile photo has been the same over the years across Twitter, FB, Blog etc!
How private can one be in this age of social media when someone or the other is tagging you?!
Who or what is stopping me from sharing pics and tagging others? 

Over the past few months, I have been considering some reasons why we must save our photos in online albums:

League Of Lost Things

I have many clips & earrings left lonely,
As the other ones in the pairs are lost.
I can babble about many other things,
Thinking of my loss as I paid a heavy cost...

Those stamps, coins, paint-boxes, brushes,
Copies, purses, crayons, pencils, erasers, pens...
The loss seems fresh as if it happened now;
Loss of those is no more in the past tense.

Pitha - Dessert With A Twist

The state of Odisha in India has many festivals where amazing sweets and treats are prepared and served. Pitha is a sweet that is a common treat as every festival has some variety of Pitha. There are many types of Pithas based on the ingredients used and the preparation style. I love Muduka Pitha. 

Muduka Pitha of Odisha, India

Here is the recipe for the Muduka Pitha. 

Ingredients for the Muduka Pitha:

For the Dough:

4 cups Wheat Flour (Atta)

2 cups Sugar 

½ litre Refined Oil 

For the Stuffing:

1 cup Grated Coconut

½ cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Cardamom

Sweet And Spicy

I love sweet and spicy food. When I think of ‘sweet and spicy’, many memories come flooding. I especially love ‘Dahibara Aludum’ and ‘Gupchup’ (i.e. Panipuri or Golgappa).

I was very small when I was introduced to Dahibara Aludum, a famous dish of Odisha. 

Dahibara Aludum

My maternal grandfather and subsequently my father treated us to the Dahibara Aludum prepared by Raghu, a much-in- demand Dahibara Aludum maker & seller. Raghu sold his yummy fare in front of Barabati Stadium of Cuttack - the venue of many important cricket-matches.

Famous for Dabhibara Aludum- Raghu, Cuttack, Odisha

I still remember the very first time I had taken a bite of this delightful dish! Apart from majorly satisfying my taste-buds, Dahibara Aludum also encouraged the serious thinker in me. As my spoon pierced into the fair and tender Dahibara’s flesh, I wondered how can something be so soft and yet retain its shape without breaking. Later, I wondered, how can any fried item maintain uniform fairness and not have burn injuries! 

Dahibara, Cuttack, Odisha

By itself, the Dahibara dipped in the curd-water tastes sweet. Though most vendors do not add sugar in the Dahibara or the curd-water, yet it tastes sweet perhaps because of the natural sugar-content in the milk that is used for curd-preparation. The Dahibara is sweet only if one hasn’t added the hot and spicy chilly powder on top of it; such addition turns it spicy.

Also, there is the spicy Aludum, easy to tear, that is served along with Dahibara. One bite of Aludum and you can sense the rich spices lingering in your mouth. Together they are a super cool sweet and spicy combination that anyone can eat without any tantrum!

On one occasion, being an over-zealous spice-lover, I had added extra chilly powder on my Dahibara serving. Ah! Fiery hot and spicy! I had to have water then! Having been in the same situation earlier, my understanding family stepped in to help me! I was offered fresh Dahibara and curd-water. I gobbled one Dahibara up and drank a whole bowl full of curd-water, but still the effect of the spice magic persisted in my mouth! That’s when I had to resort to sweet Peda- a sweet that is sold near Dahibara Aludum to control such emergency!

Peda

When I was small, when Raghu brought his treats, they got over within less time as many Dahibara Aludum lovers like us were eagerly waiting! Not much has changed after all these years. Though Raghu has changed his address and his grandsons handle the business now at Bidanasi, his Dahibara Aludum tastes the same and there are still eager foodies waiting to lap it all up within no time! The twin-cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar boast of yummy Dahibara Aludum that’s available on major roads and areas. Served by vendors on cycles or hand-carts, you cannot miss this filling and appetizing snack that doubles up as a meal!

Also, Gupchup (i.e. Paanipuri or Golgappa) is a must-try when you visit Odisha. Many varieties of Gupchup are available. In an incident similar to my above Dahibara experience, I had zealously asked the vendor to add extra green chillies and spicy powder in the potato mixture served as filling inside the Gupchup balls or puri. The dish became very spicy. Then, the vendor dipped the Gupchup into sweet and refreshing jaggery-water- syrup infused with mint and tamarind. Aha!

My sweet and spicy memories got triggered when I came across the culinary stars, Vikas & Vir, talking about their #Foodventures. Vir’s video featuring Alubukhara Dahi Tikki and Vikas’s video with Lobster Thermidor are #Foodventures that sweet and spicy food-lovers like me would love to try.

I love such sweet and spicy concoctions, don’t you?

Which is your favourite sweet and spicy food? Please share your views in the comments section below.

Rhymes Remind Good Times...

I have many fond memories associated with nursery rhymes and stories that I had heard when I was a kid.

I knew many rhymes. During my vacations when we visited my grandparents’ place, I was much in demand as everyone wanted to listen to the superhit rhymes rendered by my sweet voice!

I had many favorites and I knew so many rhymes that I was the cynosure of all eyes!

Some memories associated with the following two rhymes:

A SMELLIONAIRE’S TREASURE TROVE

‘Minds are like Parachutes; they only function when open.’

-Thomas Dewar

We never have to travel very far to find-

Some triggers easily launch the mind,

On a trip through labyrinthine lanes,

By gently opening doors & panes!

We revisit the sights, sounds, tastes & smells,

Our mind starts ringing the memory-bells!

The cathartic experience looks & smells good,

Like, in a drought, finding nourishing Soul-food…

The explorer in me found herself embarking on a voyage down the memory lane when the topic ‘Smelly To Smiley!’ was posed...

Tea- Made in a huge vessel in the palatial home of my Paternal Grandparents joint-family, the aromatic smell of Tea reached the Living-Room though the kitchen is nearly half a kilometre away! I used this as an example to explain the concept of Diffusion in Science to my kid! 

Grandma's Cupboards- with Ironed Clothes

Notice the Year of Manufacture- 1952!

Grandma - My Paternal Grandmother was extremely brand-loyal. She'd only use- Colgate Toothpaste, Rexona Soap, Emami Cream & Shringaar Kumkum. I loved the rich smell as she applied red Kumkum on her forehead as Bindi, the size of which was double the size of a present Rs 2 coin! Her Cupboards still have the smell of freshly-ironed-clothes. Just like my mind, they store her memories… 

Turmeric- Perks me up as I remember playing games in my Paternal Grandfather’s huge godown filled with sacks of Turmeric! We had to wash our yellow hands and feet after playing there!

Raghu's Dahibara Aludum, Cuttack

  Dahibara Aludum

Curd- My Maternal Grandfather would travel about a 100 kilometres just to get Dahibara-Aludum for us from Cuttack from a very famous vendor named Raghu. 

And also sweets and snacks from all the places he visited!

Granny - Her entire courtyard was filled with cut-fruits and vegetables that she had put in the sun to dry, to prepare varieties of Pickles. In the afternoon, when the elders had their siesta, it was fun-afternoon-party-time for me and my cousins as we gorged on the spicy treats…! We plucked and ate fresh Fruits directly from the trees- Mango, Guava, Jack-fruit, Custard-Apple... in her huge Orchard. We used to call all the hawkers passing by. We would be richer with oven-fresh Bakery products like buns, biscuits and cakes! 

Mom- Miss my Mom’s Maachha Besara (Odia* Dish- Fried fish in Mustard Oil & Mustard paste gravy). Also the warm-Mustard Oil-with-Garlic-massage to heal my cold! The smell of Coconut Oil reminds me of the hours she spent oiling and plaiting my hair… Sandalwood, Incense, Camphor, Ghee, Talcum Powder and Fragrant Soaps all remind me of my Mom, who loved these. My Mom was an angel who looked radiant & smelled fresh at all times of the day. God loved her and took her away last year so that she could spread her radiance and fragrance in His Home…

Books, Newspapers and Magazines- Mountains of subscribed copies ready to cast their wisdom spells & smells! Papa is all set to burn the midnight oil when he returns from his frequent business trips. In his CA firm, there are piles of files and a huge library of books. There's another big library at home too! Each New Year, Papa gifts us new Calendar and Diaries- their smells ring in new hopes, aspirations and easy-to-make-but-hard-to-maintain-resolutions!

Ganesh Puja & Rangoli

Ink- Smelling the half-filled bottle of ink on my study-table fills me with instant bliss…!

I climbed the education-ladder armed with a gold-nibbed fountain-pen fuelled by Ink;

I won praise (and extra-marks!) for my neat and nice hand-writing! 

I love the smell of Success & Confidence that I get to experience whenever I smell my Achievements- Certificates, Medals & Trophies of different sizes & shapes…! 

Kid- Receiving my kid’s Certificates and Prizes, I smell pride! My kid still uses Johnson’s Baby products & smells so cool! Festivals & Rangoli’s rich smells makes me feel enriched with many celebrations and memories like this one in the pic- My kid loves to compete in creating Rangoli!

Paint- The can of leftover paint in my home reminds me of the litres of paint I personally bought to get our new flat painted! My hubby was away abroad, while I was juggling my office, kid and home! As I had never purchased paint before, the smell of paint signifies my giant leap- charting new territories and exploring the unknown like crossing seas! 

Writing about  smells has made me hungry. I decide to have a snack- ‘Ah! I can have the Jagannath Temple’s Gaja’ (a sweet)! As I open the air-tight container where it is stored, the Gaja’s smell takes me on a free trip to the - Lord JagannathTemple, Puri, Odisha!

Khaja

Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri 

What’s more, I recollect the other associated memories!

Having the Khaja now makes me feel blessed.

Nothing can beat the taste and smell of the divine Mahaprasad (called Abhada) served there that unites people It is said that Goddess MahaLakshmi (the wife of Lord Jagannath) herself cooks there- in the largest kitchen in the world.

Abhada

Mahaprasad, Lord Jagannath Temple

Perfumes- The fragrance of my large collection makes me fall in love with my husband a little more everyday! Over the years, he has gifted me my enviable Perfume-collection! Each bottle tells a story, associating itself with a country or trip...

Boiled Milk

Milk- Odia* sweet-dishes like- Rabidi*, Rasmalai*, Rasabali* etc. come to my mind when I smell boiled milk!

On a few occasions, I have even left the milk boiling and forgotten all about it!

Litres of burnt milk and other burnt foods can make our home Smelly indeed! 

Lesson- ‘Don’t cry over burnt milk/Food!’.

Rather, Smile by adopting the simple ‘Smelly to Smiley!’ Mantra!

I love all the smells in all my homes! They make me feel at home! 

I am tempted to change the words of a Shloka from the Rig Veda-

‘Let Noble Thoughts Come To Us From all Sides’ to- ‘Let Good Smells Come To Us From All Sides!’ 

Now that’s what should make us ‘Smellionaires’ (i.e. ‘Smell’-Mill‘ionaires’!) 

With good smells one feels mentally rich as though one has millions!

I feel like a Smellionaire already with so many good smells for company!

Eureka! The Déjà vu, the Tryst with my Soul-food makes me HAPPY!

P.S- All the photographs are self-clicked, except the Ambi Pur & Lord Jagannath Temple's pictures that I have taken from Google Images.

Note- I also shared some more of my Nostalgic Memories here- OLFACTORY ABRACADABRA

* - Some Terms-

Odia – Belonging to the State of Odisha

Rabidi- Thickened Milk

Rasmalai- Chhenna (a form of cottage cheese) in thickened, sweetened milk

Rasabali- Flattened disks of ricotta cheese soaked in sweetened condensed milk

Please do post your comments below & I 'll have a SMILEY face!