Mangoes are more than a fruit to some

After almost a decade this year we had a fabulous mango season. Villages of Mithila in northern Bihar had a very special mango season this year. From the bloom to harvest of mangoes, the villagers kept fairly busy for about four months. Temporary huts found their ways back to the mango orchards after a long break. These huts became most happening spots in the villages.

Good harvest of mangoes kept people of Mithila busy discussing specialties of various species of this fruit, thus having very little time for politics and attention to other problems of life. From orchards to offices and from homes to temples…life moved surrounding mangoes only.

Villagers of Mithila give you an account how Lord Buddha used to take detour to mango orchards in this region and how Emperor Akbar was fascinated with mangoes of Mithila and got thousands of mango saplings planted called ‘Lakhi Bag’ in Darbhanga.

Mithila produces thousands of varieties of mangoes. Branded mangoes like Langda or Maldah, Chausa and other such varieties are not favorites for locals. People prefer other lesser-known varieties, which is juicy and has got different flavors. Kerwa, Panma, Ujra, Sinuriya, Karpuriya, Chiniya, Mirchaiya…there are innumerous varieties of mangoes in the orchards and there are legends associated with all these varieties. Invariably, there is a variety called Usragga in every orchard in Mithila, fruits of which are not for the consumption of the owners and the wood is also used for cremation purpose only.

Marriages solemnized more than usual this season, because mangoes saved lot of money on feasting guests which costs majority of marriage expenses in this region. It was an ideal season for other ceremonies as well, where feasting was associated with them. Nothing could be dearer than mangoes to the sweet teeth of Maithils.

Families witnessed long awaited reunion of heir family members, since mangoes attracted them from all over. All of them had one story or other of their childhood to share thread around mangoes.

Barter of eatables and consumables with mangoes also revived, since nothing was more liquid and solid than mangoes this season. Laborers also preferred mangoes in lieu of cash or any other kind for the services rendered.

This bumper mango harvest has healed many wounds of flood and drought that took turns on Mithila for almost a decade. Contented people of Mithila think that bad phase of this region is over and mangoes have brought all the luck for them.

Dhak has more than the leaves...

There is an old proverb in Hindi- Dhak ke teen paat… it is mostly used for efforts leading to no results.
Here paat is leaves and Dhak is a kind of tree. So, possibly this proverb is used all because of little worth of the Dhak tree...it grows up slowly and fetches not enough wood for fire. Leaves of these trees are still used to serve street food in many ‘backward’ areas, where plastic bags are not supplied in abundance or where people cannot afford the additional cost of plate with cost of food...but perhaps people expected more from the Dhak..not just paat.

the magic of spring..all flowers..no leaves..

To cut this long story short..it has been real injustice to this variety of tree. It grows even on dead mountains, it braves all attacks and intrusions of humans and stray animals..the drought and the erosions..
And when the spring swings the mood of nature…places like Aravali and other such terrains go crazy with the bloom that paints the entire dead valleys and dusty driveways into valley of flowers and pleasure driveways.

a temple in Aravali Valley surrounded by Dhak trees

One can easily find these lovely trees with their wealth for about two weeks in March-April in Faridabad and surrounding areas. The valley of Aravali turns into saffron field and fauna of the terrain have real time of feast during the bloom of Dhak.

the valley of dead rocks turned into valley of flowers

I really wonder why people have not given the due credit and affection to these Dhak trees. Haryana may proudly declare it state flower, which adds colour and grace to the land of Hari or Lord Krishna.

Swararambh Samskar

It was most cold and foggy Vasant Panchami day in recent years. Very special day for my both the daughters, since they entered into organised musical education in traditional Guru-Shishya parampara.

Pundit Haricharan Verma, great vocalist of Hindustani Classical music and an internationally acclaimed expert of voice culture accepted six students this year for his tutelage from all age groups. Taru and Juhu, who were already privileged to have classes from him for last one year, could win his heart to get this opportunity. It was interesting to note that he Punditji chose this very date for his own grandsons Rishabh and Tini for this Swararambh Samskar.

In this age of cutthroat comptetion to get into the campuses where campus really occur, as parents we take pride in having sent our kids for this musical campus, where no one is competing, everyone is learning something new everyday.

All the pupils had a brief introduction to the tradition of music by Punditji and they also recited a very old bandish, which was orignally rendred by Raja Bhaiya Poonchwale. We all were privileged to listen to the rendition of Raag Basant by Pundit Haricharan Verma.