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My Love For Sugarcane And Henna

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Caide, Jan 14, 2022.

  1. Caide

    Caide IL Hall of Fame

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    Happy Pongal to all IL friends.

    While others were busy buying things for pongal , (as I celebrated Pongal alone with husband this time due to COVID ) , my eyes roamed the Chennai streets for sugarcane.

    Finally I bought two sugarcanes( My husband is not that into it like his craze for sweet Pongal). So as I alone gonna have it (though it is less for me) my husband convinced me that we can buy it again in next two days as it will be sold for this whole week. Only thing is in my hometown, the length and the thickness of sugarcane is comparably very good than what I have bought. By the way it looks itself, it attracts me to eat more and the taste that goes down my mouth feels great. Still I bought and enjoyed every bit of it.

    Till I got married, I spend my Pongal holidays happily at my parents. We celebrate pongal infront of our house where my father makes fire and mom cooks pongal. Where my stomach craves for sugarcane standing right infront of me on either sides of god's statue.

    My love for sugarcane started when I was 8 years old. On our way to my grandmother's house we have to cross a river path by foot ( not anymore as sadly there's no water left and even dams are not opened to fill it. Moreover road has been put to go over through another side) and on the other side within a kilometer is my grandmother's home. Back of my grandmother's home there was sugarcane field (not anymore) from where my grandfather brought sugarcane. It is sugarcane used for making jaggery and sugarcane juice. As I was only 8 years old, my grandfather cut it into very small pieces using Machete and knife whereas my sweet father removed the outer skin for easy chewing. And it followed by my father's lesson on how to chew and spit out of remains.

    From then on I started to have normal sugarcane every Pongal time. And I have it for whole week. Till I am of 14 years, my father cut it into pieces for me to eat. When I was 15 and till 20, I started to eat without cutting it into small pieces but the length has been cut short with machete by my father. From my 20th, I started to cut it on my own and eat it.

    Second thing, on every festive occasion maruthaani( henna) is my favourite memory. I dont prefer readymade mehendi cone. My mom make it from our own henna plant and grind it using ammi kal(Sil batta). At night, my father put the henna mix on my both hands and my sister's. Whereas he help mom to put it in her right hand ( she herself put it in her left hand). He puts it on his nails alone. We all let it on for whole night. Next morning we fight among ourselves for who has got darker mehendi colour (ofcourse my mom wins all the time. She and her coffee are the reason behind it). But mosquitoes :BangHead::BangHead: more than brightness , I am sacred of consequences of henna on my face the following morning ( as I have experience in it).

    Past two years , I celebrated Pongal with my in-laws. They are very nice people but still I miss sugarcane and henna made by mom.

    My father buys sugarcane for me than to do Pooja with it. Before he goes to market he used to call me to ask me for the number of sugarcanes I need. And we sit infront of our house in front space on the ground, we both eat it.

    At my in-laws,I am little shy to ask for sugarcane and henna . But they cut sugarcane and pack it for me. Its too a kind of memory.

    And this year, me and my husband celebrated alone and had sugarcane :cheer:and best moments this time were:
    1. I cooked pongal on my own today ( have childhood experience when i tried to cook it with help of my mom in miniature cookwares)
    2. I have very strong teeth so whenever I eat sugarcane with my sisters , I have to peel the skin of it for them to eat comfortably. And this same thing happened when I had it with my husband :roflmao: . Glad he had some

    I cant get my father's love again but his memories are inside me everytime. And I can see my mom only through video call.

    But this Pongal is also a different kind of memory as I celebrated it alone with my husband and ofcourse in a apartment. Made Pongal in the kitchen unlike cooking it infront of house like my hometown

    Now I am trying to make "jeera henna" which I had put during my aunt's marriage in her village. Hope i succeed in it
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2022
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  2. Amica

    Amica IL Hall of Fame

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    @Caide, thanks for a very enjoyable read! I was smiling as I pictured you as a little girl eagerly waiting for your small pieces of sugarcane.

    :lol: I've been there, too.

    *hugs*

    Thank you for bringing back many fond memories of sugarcane, henna, pongal and, above all, home.

    Happy Pongal to you, too!
    .
     
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  3. Caide

    Caide IL Hall of Fame

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    @Amica

    Thanks for spending time to read this long post and glad that you have enjoyed it.

    Yeah it's really is mouthwatering moment for me till I get the cut sugarcane pieces :D

    And this henna mark, since t was not mehendi cone it really did took time to get invisible. Until then it was nightmare both at school and home :mad:

    I miss my home and Thanks for liking it
     
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  4. SunPa

    SunPa Platinum IL'ite

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    @Caide Happy Pongal!
    What a lovely post! I was smiling as I imagined the scenes, the cuteness and innocence of a different times... a loved and carefree child hood is a treasure. May you will build such lovely memories with your husband and children , even as you regale them and us with stories of your past.
     
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  5. Caide

    Caide IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you
    And glad you enjoyed it.
     

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