SWINE CAUTIOUS, YES, BUT BEE PROOF?
The carnival of nine nights this year promises to be more culture rich and colourful than ever before. With International delegates participating, our Sultans of swing are extremely excited to sway.Gujarati garba will be going global in a graceful new way.
In mythology, the credit for promoting garba goes to Usha, the great granddaughter –in –law of Krishna. Vedas state that earlier known as ‘Lasya Nritya’, the word Garba comes from ‘garbhdeep’, lamp within earthen pot. In the olden days, Gujaratis would gather at temples of Ma Jagdamba and perform traditional garbas around perforated matlis within which silver coins, betel leaves and a little water would add to the glory of the pious lamp ,’Pawan sapata khai toey Maa no garbo ghumto jaay.’The idea was to protect the lamp within, come what may.
Prachin garbas were sung in praise of the Goddesses’ often inviting them to come play with mortals,’Amba aavo to ramiye, Maa maney ramta nahi avde’ at times devotional, at times playful, they built a friendly rapport between devis and devotees. Arvachin ones had fun filled, flirty lyrics like,’Odhani odhu toh udi udi jaay.’
As generations progressed, a dramatic change has developed in the way this tradition is carried on as well as the social messages that lie hidden in its songs.
Early eighties rang with Babla’s disco dandiya ‘tinak dhin na’jhankaar beats, we now do dodhiyu on ‘Dhan ten nen!’.
The late Maniraj Barot of ‘Sanedo sanedo humjo lal sanedo’, created history when he penned and performed the popular number that causes footwork frenzy amongst revellers; now, modern day poet Dr.Mukul Choksi has penned ‘shiyaley shardi bhali, unaley mardo, chomasey malaria bhalo, pun swine flu baarey maasey, lal lal sanedo.’
Queen of garba pop, Falguni Pathak’s masti filled music’ Chudi Jo khanki haatho mein ‘scores with the youngsters because it talks about love in the days of dandiya.
Navratri nowadays, is a different ball game altogether. This year, while hip hop and bhangra steps have been added to basic traditional steps, a fusion of foreign steps with techno trance can well be expected, the Macarena with its jiggy wiggy is going to mingle with the, ‘put your right hand in, put your right hand out and shake it all about’ routine.
Celebrating the carnival gets more challenging for youngsters with each passing year. These days of legal dating are now tracked via spy phones, terrorised by thoughts of swine flu and tormented by temptation of falling prey to the ‘HIV bhawran ‘that their idol Shahid warns about. With pills offering instant remedies to ‘pyar ke side effects’, promoting better to play safe than sorry, it’s easy to snuff out life in the womb within 72 hours but whats the point if HIV could knock one out within the next 72 months?
With minister for women’s welfare Anandiben Patel having stated the fact that the number of abortions rise a couple of months after Navratri and statistics proving just how fast contraceptives fly off the counters during these days, about time, we talked to our young guns about birds and bees and STDs, instead of shying away from clear and present danger.

MAD MAN’S TRIANGLES-SURTI STUFFINGS.............
Lest the title scares you, bringing to mind some eerie place like the Bermuda triangle, let me assure you, in Surat, weird names mostly stand for its people or food.
Little did Akshay Kumar know, when he gallantly sang out ‘Jab tak rahega samose mein aalu, tera rahunga o meri Shalu’, that Surti samosas have anything but potatoes in them.
Dough wrapped fried dumplings are very popular in Tapi town. Our Ghanchi and Khatri brothers and sisters excel in conjuring up innovative delights to make the same a pleasure on the palate.
Discover tastes that will tickle your taste buds..........
‘Fataka’ is what gram dal samosas are better known as in Surat. Sautéed with mint, ginger-chilli paste and onions this Surti speciality is available in three different degrees of spice levels.One is a mild, sober taste, the other with a sweet base of raisins while the third is all out on slurplicous spice . Chana dal samosas are sell outs at Nanavat-Gandabhai’s samosas who is the ace of the base in this field since ages; Jain samosas are also a variety popularly sold here.A smaller, milder version of the same are available outside the Syndicate bank, Salabatpura. On Kotsafil Road, above Jyoti plywood, a home run business caters to regulars who buy raw or semi fried versions of these triangular treats.

Bhamardiwala at Khangar Sheri, Salabatpura has the ‘Mastery’, as Surtis put it, in preparing succelent Suran [yam] samosas. Amongst the few who do so in town, it’s a task rarely practised. Yam is first grated, washed and then dried, later sautéed with dry, hot spices and green chilli to make a filling that resembles and tastes like mutton kheema. By the way, mutton samosas are also a speciality prepared to order and unlike the heavy, fried variety available at Chowk, in the by lane that leads to Sonifalia and Sardar museum,Bhamardiwala’s sell a ready to fry version that can be relished hot at home.

At Bibiniwadi, Syedpura, green pea samosas -tempered with curry leaves, cashews, cottage cheese and desiccated coconut are an exotic tropical flavoured filling. Made exclusively by the oil pressers, the Ghanchi community, it is a spicy -sweet delight amidst flaky plain flour pastry.

Innovative stuffings like soybean, sautéed Chinese vegetables and cottage cheese chewies have enthusiastic takers at Anand Mahal Road, near Prime Arcade. The samosa Pattis for these are made from whole-wheat flour.

Suburban Surtis meanwhile, relish the scrumptious taste of Rachna‘s tasty treats at Ghoddod road. The most expensive in their league , the cheese samosas are an exclusive variety from a secret recipe that was handed down from a home in Singapore, by a Surti N.R.I. Also available here are Mexican samosas packed with bean, corn and spring onions.
Surti samosas vary in crispiness according to their shells- from chewy, crispy to gritty.
Pyramid like savouries that now have a commercial existence, originally prepared by experts, within kitchens of Surti homes.

Tapi town tattle-Swine Flu-Kamina fever.