We, the members of Green Park chapter 8 of All India Kitchen Garden Association, had been informed of the March meeting to be held on March 5, at the residence of Renu Agarwal who has a lovely terrace for such get togethers.
I would like to depict the scenario in three points: 1. Talk on summer flowers and vegetables by Anita Gupta, our favorite speaker; 2. Competition: Colourful Millet food items – both sweet and salted; 3. Ushering the Holi aura with folklores, songs and dances by the members. Gift distribution by our generous convenor Manju Jain and our popular Manju Bhabi.
Meeting started with a formal welcome of guests with Chandan tikka and Mongra flowers hair band and a welcome drink of thandai and a variety of other soft drinks and mouth-watering traditional snacks. Bina Bhargava started with a bhajan
तने अजब रचदा भगवन
महीना होली का
भक्ति में बैठी मीरा
नजर आये भगवान का
Bhajan set the program rolling. Our guest speaker Anitaji had come well in time when she was welcomed by Chandan tikka, hair band of Mogra flowers and a colourful chunri as a token of Holi gift.
In her talk she concentrated more on climatic changes which are the results of manmade blunders. Now the farmers have lost their early crop because of late winter. They lost the second crop too because it was sown late. So, while planning our kitchen garden we should prepare ourselves to move with the climate. At this time the malis should keep the beds ready with ‘ghurai’ and light manuring. Since the plants have just started showing signs of freshness and growth from dormancy period, there should be light spraying of nutrients because the next feeding period will be in September i.e. after the rainy season.
Anitaji insisted on organic khad made at home with day-to-day kitchen waste. She was talking about her personal experiences. She had brought some plastic paint empty dibbas- made holes at the bottom and a few on the sides of these baltis. Bottom holes are necessary for drainage of water and side holes are required for intake of oxygen. Balti should be tightly closed for fermentation of kitchen waste. It should be left for a month or so. This manure, when ready, gives incredible results.
Her pots of fruits and vegetables have turned out to be very healthy plants that will continue giving good results. If we add neem ka patta, there will not be any problem of pests. If there is a stink of fermentation then a sprinkle of normal chuna will take care of it. This khad not only gives longevity but sweetness to the fruits and vegetables. Now we come to the competition of colourful millet food items, both sweet and salted. I am mentioning the names of three very very enthusiastic competitors i.e. Urmil Jain who had made quite a few varieties starting from papad to cutlets to millet namkeens and sweet dishes like laddu with desi ghee. She had submitted the recipe of each item along. Second prize was bagged by Indira Jain who presented ‘Idli’ ‘Upma’ ‘Cutlet’ ‘Jawar ki Kheer’ and ‘namkeen’ of sawan and peanuts! It was yummy.
As per the rule everybody had to give a written recipe along with the items to prove the authenticity. Radha Jain, who participates with entho in each and every festival, bagged the third prize with her presentation of ‘Bajre ki khichdi’ along with all the accompaniments which are served with khichdi i.e. veggies, chutney etc.
We saw, we participated but ultimately got lost in holi ‘hudung’. All the ladies rushed to the floor to dance to the tune of folklore and holi songs like ‘आज बिरज में होली है रसिया’. There was no bhang served yet it seemed the thandai had its effect as the ladies kept dancing till the food was served. Urmil Jain wrote a poem on ‘होली का हुड़ंग श् रारा रा रारा’ She really made a हुड़ंग With throwing her hands up and singing रारा रा रारा It was good fun. We knew Holi had yet to come but our members’ team ushered in the vibrations much in advance. We are always the first to do रारा रा …..रारा
Our hostess Renu Jain’s hospitality was par excellence. Not to miss Manju Bhabi’s Holi spree. There were cartons of gifts and dibas of ghujia for each and every member present there. A colouful ओडानी was gifted to all the ladies. Vote of thanks was given by Bharati to the guest speaker Anitaji for her efforts in joining us in spite of her not so good health. Thank God for the lovely weather which made the Terrace Party possible.
