ANOTHER CELEBRATION
The Children only had 2 days of school holiday for Christmas but the 14th January is a bigger National holiday. Known as Pongal in South India including Andhra Pradesh, as Lohari in the Punjab and also Kitcheri (after one of the festival's food dishes). All celebrating the Hindi New Year known as Makar Sankranti. Officially the festival lasts for 2 days but the children have a week off school.
Our children with relations often go to stay with them. Special traditional foods, mainly sweets, are prepared or bought. Here in Bihar, where I came to see a colleague from my days working with leprosy patients, I will be treated to the new season's rice with a mixture of yoghurt, vegetables and lentils (the kitcheri). The special sweets are made from sesame seeds, flat rice or peanuts combined with jaggary, a form of sugar, and are offered throughout the day.
As with many major festivals it is often a time to give new clothes. Swathi told me that in her community the unmarried girls wear half saris. a separate waist length blouse and long skirt with a shawl worn over it.
My hosts are still feeding me with sweet goodies and my weight is increasing! It is time for me to return to the children - a 24 hour train journey.
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| Swathi in her new Pongal half sari |
