#FridayReflections A Day In Village

#FridayReflections

We went to our village in Ganjam district after the trip to Jirang Monastery. The roads had banyan and Peepal trees on the either side, offering beautiful views during the sunset. It took us a little more than two hours to reach the destination. I thoroughly enjoyed the long drive, listening to some soulful songs and eating boiled groundnuts in the backseat. We were going to the village after two years. My father was very eager, as it was where he spent most of his childhood and adolescence. We were excited too, as we were to meet a new member of the extended family- little baby Saanvi.

You know it’s a festival when you hear the gongs in the temple from a mile away. You know you have reached the village when you have to press the horn twenty-a-times to cross a herd of cattle on the road. You know you are near the destination if you see monkeys on the trees and the terraces of the kutcha houses. You know you have finally reached if there are more than three people sitting on the verandah to welcome you. They just know when you are to arrive, like a miracle.

Once you enter the house and pay your greetings, you are offered a hot tea pot. It tastes heavenly. I had it twice in our short stay. I have developed a knack for masala teas these days. You’d surely be offered some ‘aarisaa’, ‘baalesha’, ‘laddoo’ and other traditionally made sweets. You’d be served rice and side dishes about twice more than your capacity. It’s considered hospitality but beware, you’d have diabetes if you stay here for more than two days!! Tread carefully- any ‘no’ can be treated as either shyness or disinterestedness, or more seriously a loss of appetite. Love is shown through the food on your plate.

PS:  If you are to go to the bathroom, then do check the surroundings for any monkeys, then just run towards it. Monkey menace is huge here- their population being more than hundred fifty. Carefully watch out for frogs and spiders. They are aplenty.

PSS: The mornings are so peaceful there. You can hear the birds chirping. There’s an aura, it soothes and somehow purifies the mind.  Love mornings here!

 Linking the post to #UBC , and #DailyChatter.