Sankranthi was one active festival during childhood. People were supposed to give each other Ellu bella (Ellu - sesame seeds, bella - jaggery). But our town was a Maharashtra border and there, folks prepared kusurellu. (Ellu coated with sugar - it will have a star shape) Mom learnt its preparation- one long tedious process. Roast the sesame seeds on copper thick plate for a long time, adding few drops of sugar syrup at a time. This syrup will form a coating and gradually ellu will look like star.
So this ellu was distributed. We children were supposed to dress up and go to all neighbouring houses and give ellu to everyone and do namaskara to elders. But the next day was school. We will give ellu to all teachers. And then. Then the school will not resume. We will start our pheri - go to school number 2 (ours was government school number 3) and there ellufy to all teachers there and then to school no 1. and so on. We did not distribute this ellu to children but only to teachers. Our trip would end in prison. Really. I don't remember why But we did go to local prison and give ellu to prisoners also. Thus we walk the entire town and then reach home.
My son does not know the difference between one festival to another. For him festival is a holiday, so one more day to watch TV.
In Bangalore people visit the neighbours with sugarcane, ellu, bella and bananas. OK. But not as colorful as our sankranthi.
When giving Ellu - we used to say "Ellu bella tagondu olle olle matadu" - ( take this ellu and talk good things) which had the marathi synnonym "Tilgool gya ani god god bola" . By the time we entered high school, the phrase was "take sweet , talk sweet". And here the brave boys used to give Greeting cards to girls with a I love you note. And the girl who would receive used to cry thinking she is insulted.
Bangaloreans also call this festival pongal which is actually tamil name. And they prepare pongal which is prepared by boiling rice, green gram dal and jaggery, coconut and milk. I prepare pongal too. Because it is easy right?
Now I am not saying that Sankranthi is coming near. No it is not. My knowldge of Hindu festivals is poor but not that poor.
The image is not of kusurellu but the Bangalore variety. And surely I will not post the actual kusurellu image on 2009 Jan because I CAN NOT prepare that.
So this ellu was distributed. We children were supposed to dress up and go to all neighbouring houses and give ellu to everyone and do namaskara to elders. But the next day was school. We will give ellu to all teachers. And then. Then the school will not resume. We will start our pheri - go to school number 2 (ours was government school number 3) and there ellufy to all teachers there and then to school no 1. and so on. We did not distribute this ellu to children but only to teachers. Our trip would end in prison. Really. I don't remember why But we did go to local prison and give ellu to prisoners also. Thus we walk the entire town and then reach home.
My son does not know the difference between one festival to another. For him festival is a holiday, so one more day to watch TV.
In Bangalore people visit the neighbours with sugarcane, ellu, bella and bananas. OK. But not as colorful as our sankranthi.
When giving Ellu - we used to say "Ellu bella tagondu olle olle matadu" - ( take this ellu and talk good things) which had the marathi synnonym "Tilgool gya ani god god bola" . By the time we entered high school, the phrase was "take sweet , talk sweet". And here the brave boys used to give Greeting cards to girls with a I love you note. And the girl who would receive used to cry thinking she is insulted.
Bangaloreans also call this festival pongal which is actually tamil name. And they prepare pongal which is prepared by boiling rice, green gram dal and jaggery, coconut and milk. I prepare pongal too. Because it is easy right?
Now I am not saying that Sankranthi is coming near. No it is not. My knowldge of Hindu festivals is poor but not that poor.
The image is not of kusurellu but the Bangalore variety. And surely I will not post the actual kusurellu image on 2009 Jan because I CAN NOT prepare that.
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