Shravan 2015

Welcome back to the Shravan series at beingdhriti :) I know its November already, but its never too late to write a post. Its always better late than never. Here are some of our pictures from different festivals from the month of shravan this year :) This is a picture-only post.

Independence Day!

Baked this Independence themed house warming cake for Pankaj-Jiya :)

Independence Mood!

Office potluck !

Baked this M&M's surprise cake for office potluck :)

Rakshabandhan time - Time to send post cards to brothers :)

  

Rakshabandhan!

Abhishek!

Smile please...

Prachi bhabhi and Manoj!

                                             

With AB and bhabhi. Missed you - Piyush and bhabhi!

Manoj and his rakhees :)

Sagarrrrr and me!

Mehendi time - Teejri :)

MJ 

He put mehendi for me for the first time ever :)

Mandatory pose ;)

Look who was home for Teejri pooja <3 - Reema :)

Love you to the moon and back ;)

Look who visited us the next day :)

Pose 2 ;)

There are no pictures for Saatam and Janmashtami as we were on vacation to Yellowstone during the most important festivals of the month of Shravan! No worries will celebrate next year :)

Sukhadi recipe

This weekend it was Ganpati Visarjan which means time for Ganpati bappa to go back home :( But going back means coming back soon!

I wanted to offer some sweet to Ganeshji on this day of visarjan. After thinking a lot, I decided to make sukhadi for which I did not have to go out for shopping:) This is a very easy recipe which contains only 4 main ingredients - wheat flour, gud (jaggery), ghee, cashew nuts.

Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup jaggery finely grated

1/2 cup ghee

Handful cashews cut into halves OR almonds cut into halves

1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus) - optional

Method:

1. Take ghee in the pan and start the stove.

2. When the ghee starts to melt, add the wheat flour and cook on medium heat till you smell nice aroma of wheat flour. (Roast till it turns pinkish brown).

3. Put the stove on sim. Add jaggery to it and stir till the jaggery nicely mixes with the wheat flour.

4. Turn off the the gas and pour this mixture into a plate and tap it with a spoon to make the top surface of the plate smooth. Make sure you don't pour a thick layer in the plate. Sukhdi tastes/looks good if it is around 1/2 of an inch :)

5. While it is still hot, sprinkle poppy seeds and cut it into diamond shape just like kaju katli.

6. Decorate it with cashew nuts or almonds.

General Observation: I have noticed that when I make any sweet and if have Ganpati songs playing in the background, all of my sweets turn out to be amazing! Give it a try next time :)

Sukhadi!

Jai Ganpati Bappa!

All the girls in the house!

MJ

Haye tujhko phir se jalwa dikhana hi hoga, 

Agle baras aana hai (aana hi hoga)!

Dekhengee teri rahe, pyasee pyasee nigahe,

Toh maan le tu maan bhi le kehna mera,

Laut ke tujhko aana hai, sunle kehta divana hai,

Jab tera darsan payenge, chain tab hamko pana hai,

Morya morya morya re,

Bappa morya morya morya re! 

Story behind Thadri !!!

Thadri is one of the most important festivals for Sindhis. But, I never knew the reason behind celebrating Thadri. I guess as a child I was never so inquisitive to find out the reason. But now I have gotten the answer to this question. Here is a short description that my Mother-in-law sent me about why Sindhis celebrate Thadri in the month of Shravan. It is really very informative and I thought of putting it here on the blog. 

WHY THADHRI ?

Thadhri is celebrated for Devi Mata ---- when people used to get small pox or chicken pox - it used to be considered that have Mata ( meaning Mata was upset) --- Mata means Chandi Mata- Durga Devi in Chandi Roop --- People considered it to be her anger. So Thadho (cold) used to be done --- Cold Food and people prayed to her.

The mother goddess is worshipped in various forms, Sittala, being the small-pox goddess, is worshipped by Sindhis. She is the eldest of several sisters, named after different kinds of diseases such as measles etc. The worship of the goddess lasts during the whole period of the attack of the goddess (disease). Mothers sing Thadhri son: 'Thaar Mata Thaar, Munhje bachran khe thaar'…

The annual festival observed in honour of this goddess is called 'Thadri', or the cooling festival.

Meetho Lolo and Dal jo Lolo is usually made for a festival.

Ladies prepare Meetho Lolo, Dal jo Lolo and curd, boondi raita on the previous day of the festival. On the day, fire is not lit at home, and we eat the thado (cold) food prepared on the previous day.

BACK GROUND:

Thadhri means Thadho (Cold)

 - Chulas are not burnt - thats the thing because - in the morning Pooja of Chula is suppose to be done with Akhri and thikriyiun.

- 7 akhriyoon small size of quarters lolis are made they are supposed to be kept on chula on which lollas were made

- with matho on them and some sindoor and water is put

- then You have to offer some flowers if you so prefer

- whole day they should be kept

- next day you put them under the tree and then light up the chulo

- Its more or less for making the agni cool

- five tikriyoon small of pennies size are also made. chana dal 2 spoons is also soaked in the night and with soaked chana dal

- 5 tikriyoon sindoor you hold them in your muthi and you have keep on everybody's eyes

- and say three times --- ' Lakhro saakro, wadi mai, nandi mai, Langhi payi paar, devi rani tu thadho kar thaar.'

Agni tej is in our eyes- thats why they are kept and prayer to devi mata is done.

This is one of the very important Festivals of Sindhis.