Weddings say a lot about a society and the people tying the knot. While weddings can be occasions for the young couples to rebel and show their progressive stripes, they are also an opportunity for couples to live up their one day in life. To most, austerity seems like a lost opportunity. In a society that strongly preaches that you marry only once, and divorces and remarriages are grudgingly accepted, most tow the line down to the last ritual because you do it only once;…Continue Reading “Marriage Rituals in Odisha: Tradition or Regression?”
Bhubaneswar did 2 protests yesterday. Some 100 people showed up. But that is not the only reason why I never disclose I am an Odia. Here are a few more reasons why I think being an odia is shameful: 1. Not a single progressive social movement after independence. Once a leader in dowry deaths, the trend slowed down only after law was implemented strictly. 2. The tribals are from another universe. Have you ever heard a single Odia raise issues of the tribals, deforestation and mining…Continue Reading “Ashamed to be an Odia”
All of us know there is a massive hole in Odia food writing. I am not talking about recipes, I am speaking of writings that deliberate on cuisines, compare cooking methods and practices in different parts of Odisha as well as giving a historical context to what we eat. And, then there is the issue of exploring lesser known regions. The recipes currently floating are majorly coastal Odisha. Rarely something is seen from the north, west or south or regional variations in cooking. I have…Continue Reading “Appeal to Odia food writers and bloggers”
This is called pakhala. There are other strange folk who call it by many other names, but those are all translations. This, though a fancier version of the original, is the real deal. The odia pakhala. This summer delight is the the perfect stick to beat the heat with. And, what a beating it is. This boy is the coolest star in tinsel town, everyone wants to be in the frame. The accompaniments can be mashed potatoes, crushed badis, laal saag, namkeen and cucumbers, deep…Continue Reading “Odia Pakhala”
We live in an increasingly outsourced world. There was a time when the pain of feeding guests was the best part of it. I guess, in smaller cities it still is. The ‘nana’ as we called the chef used to come with his assistants and take over a portion of the yard. The young ones were the helpers or errand boys, the older ones became assistants and the family became the enterprise. Given that I have never attended a feast after growing up, I have…Continue Reading “The feasts”
Recently, there has been marginal rise in interest in regional cuisines. A small parsi starts doing well, a kashmiri place in Gurgaon draws crowds, South Indian means more than the dosas and idlis, Gujarati thali places run full houses, a quirky café that repackages regional dishes becomes chic. Bengali outlets in CR Park have always done well, so I will skip adding them to the list. All in all, it seemed a small tide was bringing in regional places to Delhi. So, I was really…Continue Reading “Mandaa, Hauz Khas Village”