Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ramadan, Paryushana, Mahalaya and a Giveaway

No, this post has nothing to do with any religion. I am not the right person for that kind of thing. I have little knowledge about the tenets and rituals of the various religion including mine. All I want myself to have is faith, a belief to guide me through life.

NarkelNaru_BWWed

This B&W photo of Narkel Naru from a previous Durga Pujo goes to Susan's B&W Wednesday

Why I mention Ramadan or is it Ramzan, is because I have been always very impressed with the fasting, the rigors of sacrifice and self-control involved in that month of intense heat and scorch. When we were little and barely knew to spell "religion" our parents uttered the word "Ramzan" with hushed reverence. Reverence for Maulbi Saab who shut the green doors of his store the entire afternoon for he fasted and went without water in the searing heat and needed rest. For my classmate's parents who worked through the day and dealt with three kids without a morsel of food to sustain them until sunset. The whole idea of abstinence from food and water seemed huge, looming large above anything they might have done during that period. In those times, Iftar or the fast-breaking meal was less glorified and it was the fasting during Ramadan that held all the attention.

Paryushana is a word I heard only recently from here. And this after we spent years being neighbor to a Jain Aunty who made the best stuffed red chili pickles in the Universe.If you are ignorant like me, it is a Jain festival when the laity take on vows of study and fasting with a spiritual intensity similar to temporary monasticism.This is the time when the wandering monks take up residence for the monsoons and so the householders immerse themselves in an annual renewal of faith by meditation and self-control.The last day of the festival you ask for forgiveness from all living beings as I understand.

Very apt and fulfilling it seems, to come together for a purpose, to live a few days trying the body and mind to strict submissiveness, channeling thoughts for a greater purpose maybe.On the aside, two of my fellow bloggers a hiker and a yoga-er have already tried their body and mind in greater ways, and so it does not necessarily have to do anything with religion or festivals.

When I mulled over these two festivals from two very different religions it is the self-control that they profess to practice for a few days every year fascinated me. I do not come from a fasting household. My Mother does have her quota of vratas and fasts but none of them ask to go without food for the entire day or for a consecutive period of days.If I try to go 12 hours without food, my Mother thinks I have become weak.Mr.Hazare is clearly not her type.

As an adult on my own I have never practiced total abstinence from food or anything else willingly. Here we will ignore severe bouts of stomach flu when one eats Phuchka and egg roll on their Calcutta jaunt. This year I wanted to spend a few days practicing to eat one meal a day, to spend my day not thinking of food(my usual hobby) and cooking but something beyond myself.Sure sign that I am fast approaching the age for Vanaprastha.

DebiPoksho begun yesterday on Mahalaya. The Goddess is packing her last sari in the suitcase and checking to see if the door locks are working properly, after all she will be away for all five days and that husband, Shiva of hers is hardly trustworthy with such things. The countdown to her arrival has begun. It is a moment of anticipation and joy in the heart of the many Bengalis around the globe.On my part I will try to eat only one meal a day for these four days till Panchami. No one has asked me to do this, there is no set rule and I don't know why I am doing this at all. Heck, I might not be even able to do it and succumb to that bar of chocolate mid morning.

I have no intention to achieve anything but I hope this period will make me appreciate food and everything else that is easily available to me more.

Since it is that time of the year when the heart sings a tune even though there is no swaying kashful in sight or damp sheuli their face upturned waiting for me on the wet morning grass, I want to share the song with you. For you alone my Blog Readers who have always been with me all these years, I have a humble gift.

For the simple reason that I do not have enough riches (ha, ha), there can be only one winner and the winner of this Giveaway gets a choice to pick a


CorningWare SimplyLite 1-1/2-Quart Casserole with Glass and Plastic Lids (this I have and love) from here


OR a Le Creuset Stoneware 16-Ounce French Onion Soup Bowl, Kiwi (This I would love to have) from here
** This is if Amazon ships to where you live
If you do not want the above gifts and you are a winner, you will get the equivalent amount in Amazon Gift Card.

For those in India, I have a gift of a much loved book. I will send it from Flipkart so you have to be where they can ship.



Garlic And Sapphires: The Secret Life Of A Critic In Disguise(Paperback) by Ruth Reichl
If you do not want this book you will get a Flipkart e-voucher for the equivalent amount.

The winner of the giveaway also has a responsibility. He/She gets to pick a charity they support and I will contribute $50 towards that charity (given that it is valid and all). It is okay if you at least like the work of a certain charity and would like me to contribute towards it.

So to be part of this giveaway you need to do the following

1.Leave a comment on this post along with your e-mail id

2.Tell me since when  you read this blog and a charity you think does good work

Go ahead now and do your part. If you follow me on OR , you have to leave a comment right here to be considered for the Giveaway

And as they say over the Loudspeaker दुर्गा पूजा की हार्दिक शुभ कामना or দূর্গা পুজোর অনেক শুভেচ্ছা or tepid as it sounds in English Happy Durga Pujo

*** And oh yeah, No one has sponsored these gifts and all of them are paid by me because I love you so***

44 comments:

  1. Ooooh...I love the soup bowl and thank you for doing a giveaway.I think i have been following your blog now for a little over a year (and am very glad that you rescinded your decision to drop it around new year, though i would have supported your decision either way). Being an animal lover and a resident of Denver, I think Denver Dumb Friends league does a great job of taking care of animals. So that would be my choice.

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  2. A thought provoking writeup. I have been reading your blog since I started blogging ie. since 2009. Whenever I searched for any bengali recipe on google, I always found you on the first page. I liked your recipes and the wonderful stories you tell along with them. My favourite charitable organisation is ASHA - Asian Women's Self Help Association, Washington DC, who work with South Asian women living in the U.S who are victims of violence and abuse.

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  3. I guessed you meant a giveaway when you gave a hint in your frittata post. I think I have been following you blog for atleast 3 years, if not 4 years. I came via MadMomma's blog who had your blog in her blogroll at that time. I have tried, tested and loved most of your recipes.
    BTW do you plan to have 1 dinner or 1 lunch every day? As a suggestion, you can try just the dinner with lot of protein & fat( eggs/red meat/chicken )to keep you satiated for atleast 12-14 hours. Good luck with this trial :).

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  4. Aww! I love that you love us. I love you too though in a totally plutonic, fellow writer/ blogger/ fooddie/ mom kinda way. And those are also the reasons why I follow and read your blog and have been doing it for the last couple of years, I think. As to my favorite charity, I too like ASHA.
    Oh and if I win the giveaway, which I never do, I would love the LeCrueset or the other one too, but mainly the LeCrueset. :-)

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  5. I love the soup bowl and thank you for doing a giveaway!!
    I came to ur blog thru Nupur's OHS and that was about 3.5 or about 4 years ago. Earlier I used to login in my maiden name to leave comments :)
    My Husband & I support 'Food for the Poor' charity, we have been supporting them since our son was born 3 yrs ago.

    Good luck with ur one meal a day plan. I guess I am weak willed, I keep planning what to make (& eat) next.. all the time!

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  7. 'Ruth Reichl' for winners from India ..umm! too good.

    Okay let me try. I was a new mother then, living far from my home, studying, confused and full of guilt. I used to search anything regarding moms in Google and suddenly one day I stumbled upon a treasure. A treasure created by another mom and living far from her home and working. She was but not full with guilt like me but was a story teller instead. I started reading her thoughts, identified with the moments of her house she shared with me through her blog, I made friend with her (in my heart) immediately. it must have been 4 years now if not more.
    I have tried many of you recipes but chocolate-marble pond cake has become my favourite. I have baked it for n number of times and in different shapes!
    I will like to donate for http://www.shekharsathee.org/
    they are a small group of very willing people who are trying to bring life-centric primary education in some schools of West Bengal.

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  8. 'Ruth Reichl' for winners from India ..umm! too good.

    Okay let me try. I was a new mother then, living far from my home, studying, confused and full of guilt. I used to search anything regarding moms in Google and suddenly one day I stumbled upon a treasure. A treasure created by another mom and living far from her home and working. She was but not full with guilt like me and was a story teller instead. I started reading her thoughts, identified with the moments of her house she shared with me through her blog, I made friend with her (in my heart) immediately. It must have been 4 years now if not more.
    I have tried many of you recipes but chocolate-marble pound cake has become my favourite. I have baked it for n number of times and in different shapes!
    I will like to donate for http://www.shekharsathee.org/
    they are a small group of very willing people who are trying to bring life-centric primary education in some schools of West Bengal.

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  9. I have been reading your recipes for a few years now and have been trying them on and off. It is recently that I tried a series of them and each was a joy. Really really good recipes. You are an awesome cook and you have lovely blog.

    My email is ini_ya@yahoo.com.

    My favorite charity is CRY.

    Love,

    Ini

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  10. Great job Bong Mom and what a perfect time for a giveaway!

    I have been following you blog ever since I have landed in the US (so that will be for over a year now!) Came across your blog through a friend who lives in Canada (who was suggesting a common friend of ours in Chicago through FB to look into your blog for cooking tips, as she had just landed there after marriage).

    You are phenomenal, I have drawn great amount of inspiration from your blog and I thank you for the same.

    My family back in India gives clothes and food to the needy during shabebarat. I contribute towards that. I am not a part of any particular charitable organisation here.

    I am eyeing on the casserole!!!
    Keep up the awesome good work.

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  11. OK.. I came here to this site to learn to make Sandesh, & in my own ADHD style went off on a tangent...2 lbs of ricotta, condensed milk, & heavy cream later I have something that tastes DELISH, but I don't think its Sandesh..Serves me right for not following instructions!
    My charity of choice, big brothers, big sisters, & Igot my eyes on the Le creuset soup bowl!

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  12. Would like either of them...I started reading your blog since Feb 2008.

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  13. Oops forgot about the charity part - I donate to Goodwill and pay Tuition and book fees for our Drivers daughter in India. Also, I donate to Unite to Help Foundation started by a friend.

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  14. Awesome post,luved ur writeup,have been following you since a long time,,email I'd is stillnotyet100@gmail.com

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  15. I came for the RCI-Bengal and flipped out the way u write up. I am following you from those days...
    I love Le creuset soup bowl. Don't have any particular charity but usually donate locally here and India.
    About ur fasting, i never tried it but wish u a Luck and strength!

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  16. The Octoer -Decemnber months are truly fascinating in India - everyone is so enthused about their celebrations in their own way.I have been fasting on Mahashivratri since I was a teenager and my MOm used to act like I would faint any moment...! I am not very religious either, its more to see whether I can last even one day of the year voluntarily. I didnt realise that I would one day go for a whole year without being able to eat anything orally - changed my perspective completely.


    I love the soup bowl!! but being in India am hoping I win the book since I havent been able to get it at my library.

    I have been reading your blog for about 2 years now and enjoy your warm and casual way of wesving stories about food into everyday life.

    The charity I am passionate about is the efforts put in by CSA - a corporate initiative by Kale consultants to support adoption in India. They have a number of initiatives that support the inmates of many orphanages and are doing their best to support adoption. Given that we are adoptive parents, this cause is close to my heart.

    My email id is peppercornmill@gmail.com

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  17. Its funny how inspite of being born & living in Bengal, having loads of bengali friends,I (a non bengali) still searched for recipes for bengali khichadi and chorchori. And Google guided me to you!

    You would have seen the 'Malgudi Days' episode of 'salt and sawdust'?
    Your recipes are wonderful but your anecdotes make it even more appetizing just like the husband's in 'Salt and Sawdust'....

    I have been on your blog since only a couple of months and i love it.... I love all food bengali :-)

    There is a charity called 'Navadisha/Nobodisha' here in Cal that i donate to. They have an old women's rehab centre as well as a school for underpriveleged.

    Pujor onek shubeccha....

    Shruti
    From Oh Calcutta!

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  18. my email id is

    shots80@rediffmail.com

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  19. I've been reading and following you since forever... almost 5 years now and love to hear about little S and big S. Keep writing!
    Pujor Shubuecha roilo ... have a wonderful time.
    We like 'Food gatherers' a local group that does wonderful work here.

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  20. I would love to win.
    I think Doulos Ministries is an awesome organization.
    littlegray88 at yahoo dot com

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  21. Sandeepa sab chere pujor somoy upos debe? All the best.
    Tomaderkeo pujor anek shubhechha.

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  22. It has been more than 3 years that I started reading your blog Sandeepa and the main reason I come back is - the way you write is so witty ;-).

    and one NGO I recently got to know about is -Minchu (http://minchu.org/). the concept is very simple - volunteers go to under-privileged schools and give children wish tags. they write what they want the most on them. Those are brought to corporates like Oracle etc and we get to choose one or more wish tags, shop for one of the items, wrap in a recycled paper & hand over to Minchu ppl who in turn will give to the child. I took 4 wishtags and am about to shop this weekend. :-).

    Giveaways are always fun and exciting to win some.

    Happy Navratri to you and your family.

    Siri
    XOXO

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  23. I love that you are doing a fast but don't really have a 'group' reason to do it. I too am beleagured by food thoughts all day. Which is the meal you will eat? Will there be restricyions for that meal? How about the little people, how will you explain your abstinence to them while ensuring that they continue to eat all their meals. Myyounger one is always looking for an excuse to mis any meal with a high proportion of vegetables. I think he might pretend to join me. I like it though and may consider similar some time. Though honestly when I avoid food, I tend to think about it all the more! Good luck, I hope you find some spiritual space. Favourite charity, so many to choose from. I do think some cancer care charities do a lot of important work, e.g. Macmillan and Marie Curie in the UK. Reading your blog for just over a year, love it, especially the bangla comments.

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  24. Thanks for doing the giveaway. I've been following your blog for more than two years now, and it's my first go-to place for Bong recipes. The charity donation is a great way to celebrate the spirit of pujo.Somehow I only associated charity with Christmas, not pujo, but I do see how donations could add some method to the madness of shopping for pujo. My fave charity is the Akshaya, run by Narayanan Krishnan in Madurai. He helps feed and provide shelter for homeless people.

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  25. oops forgot my email! It's newlyp@gmail.com. Thanks!

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  26. Interesting and thought provoking post. I've followed your blog for the past 4 years at least. Not exactly a charity organization, but I think St Jude's Children Research Hospital does some excellent work, and believe that no child should ever be denied treatment because of their family's inability to pay. I don't have or personally know of any child with cancer, but I know I would be completely distraught if I did. I feel like I've made life a little easier for some parent when I donate to them.
    neha dot shinde @ gmail dot com

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  27. Thanks for hosting this giveaway! I have been reading your blog for about 2 years, I think!
    Although not really a charitable organization, I have been supporting Kiva, a website which brings together hundreds of microfinance organizations throughout the world which help poor people set up their own businesses

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  28. I have been following your blog from 2006 and I simply love the humor in ur write-up and as a mom of two kids ,i relate a lot to whatever u narrate.
    I support http://www.akshayatrust.org/
    since the founder,although very young sacrificed a lucrative career to care for the less fortunate.

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  29. Hi!

    I have been reading your blog for the last two years. Really enjoy your stories and recipes.
    A charity close to our heart is Orphancare run by Dillon International - they do amazing work for children around the world.
    - Agni

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  30. Sandeepa darling - I am not sure I want a prize but I would like you to go through the India Helps site and decide for yourself whether the work they do there is commendable or not ,http://indiahelps.blogspot.com.

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  31. "shilpi boseroy" (boseroyshilpi@gmail.com)October 01, 2011 4:36 AM

    ramzan dint hav a lot of meaning to me, before i shifted to muscat.... the rules r a lil different here from india. so, if u r a muslim, n a healthy young person, then u hav to fast- no choice!!! and iftaar is an equally celebrated thing along wid the fast :-)....
    paryushan is sumthing we heard a lot about in our college tyms, since we had so many jain friends.... so,the mention of it brings bak a lot of college tym memories to mind!!!
    and finally, being a bong, mahalay is closest to heart!!! ur description of durga maa packing her bags is really fun :-)... and dont u think all husbands seem similar to our very own shib thakur???:-)

    i hav been reading ur blog since february this year... my mom n another friend of mine mentioned ur blog.before that, i was having a tough tym being newly wed, to a pure non veg person, me being the vegetarian one!!! ur blog has helped me a lot in that sense...the first recipe i followed was chicken 65... and that was taken up very well by my husband... since then, it has simply been- bong mom zindabad!!! :-D...
    i m a pure lover of kids... and my husband has done sum work wid CRY in delhi... we also donate to them every month... so, i wud like to support them if given a chance.
    i hope there was no words limit, since i've written a really long letterISH comment :-P... looking forward to more of ur blogs!!! :-)

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  33. ramzan dint hav a lot of meaning to me, before i shifted to muscat.... the rules r a lil different here from india. so, if u r a muslim, n a healthy young person, then u hav to fast- no choice!!! and iftaar is an equally celebrated thing along wid the fast :-)....
    paryushan is sumthing we heard a lot about in our college tyms, since we had so many jain friends.... so,the mention of it brings bak a lot of college tym memories to mind!!!
    and finally, being a bong, mahalay is closest to heart!!! ur description of durga maa packing her bags is really fun :-)... and dont u think all husbands seem similar to our very own shib thakur???:-)

    i hav been reading ur blog since february this year... my mom n another friend of mine mentioned ur blog.before that, i was having a tough tym being newly wed, to a pure non veg person, me being the vegetarian one!!! ur blog has helped me a lot in that sense...the first recipe i followed was chicken 65... and that was taken up very well by my husband... since then, it has simply been- bong mom zindabad!!! :-D...
    i m a pure lover of kids... and my husband has done sum work wid CRY in delhi... we also donate to them every month... so, i wud like to support them if given a chance.
    i hope there was no words limit, since i've written a really long letterISH comment :-P... looking forward to more of ur blogs!!! :-)
    oh... n my email id is.. boseroyshilpi@gmail.com.... sharodiyo shubhechcha to all!!!

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  34. Thought I'd leave a "happy Durga Puja" on your latest post, until I read through the first part, which I liked a lot, and then land on a giveaway! :)

    Just to stick to the spirit of this post, I read you on and off, (off these days since am not regular this year, but on earlier, though since am no foodie, I never did leave much comment) and yes, my daughter "runs" a non-profit org called "dance a gift" - there's a page on FB if you'd like to see.
    She teaches little kids dance and then proceeds to donate the amount to the animal shelter from where we got home our darling elkhound dog - Zephie. :)

    I now that must sound like a pitch for our org, but amvery proud of her. She'sworked hard to be where she is (all of 16 years old) and regardless of where this goes and how much we make, she enjoys doing this, and that's all that matters for now. :)

    Happy Durga Puja!

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  35. Ruth Reichl is available on Flipkart? Amazing, am off to order it - at home with parents enjoying a rare off-time because of the Pooja festival.

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  36. Hello BongMom,

    I have been reading your blog on and off for a couple of years. I think this initiative of yours is great. I dont want the give away, but would definitely want to have you make the donation to JDRF (Juvinile Diabetes Research Foundation).
    Happy Durga Puja to you.
    Jayashree

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  37. Thank you for the very pretty BWW photo, Sandeepa. It's a clever composition repeating the shape of the sweets with the mums.

    Dunno if it's too late for the giveaway, but I'll answer the questions anyway:

    1) Been reading you for years since before your Panch Phoron post. Ages ago. My contact: thewellseasonedcook AT yahoo DOT com.

    2) Doctors without Borders is one of my favorite charities.

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  38. What a lovely giveaway, Sandeepa!
    hmm- since when have I been reading your blog? For a looong time, I think- loong before I started commenting. Maybe 2007?
    I have panch phoron in my pantry because of you and can say interesting things about alu posto and beguni all because of you..:D

    My email id : maybemee AT gmail DOT com

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  39. oh and happy Durga Puja (I have many happy memories of attending Durga Puja celebrations in Bangalore with my grandfather, who used to reminisce about his Calcutta days). The charity that we have contributed to is Doctors without Borders and Shelterbox. But there are are few others I have found recently which could be likely candidates (if I win, that is..:))

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  40. Sandeepa, Shubho bijoyar shubhechha ar bhalobasa tomader sakoler jonyo. khub bhalo thako.

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  41. I have been following your blog since May 2009.

    My favourite charity is Cancer Research, UK.

    Thank you for your recipes and for the give-away.

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  42. Hi, I just stumbled upon your blog a couple of months ago. I basically come back to read your stories as they almost always bring a smile to my face . I should admit that I havent tried any of your recipes, but hopefully in the near future, coz thats the reason I keep browsing food blogs.

    And for the charity, I think the Akshaya Patra from ISKCON is doing a great job by providing healthy clean and wholesome food to 100s of schools in Bangalore (may be other places, but I am not aware ) .

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  43. A very nice informational blog.Keep on making such important blog post.Your work is really being appreciated by some one.

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