Newsletter: December 2022
Here we are at the end of the year. A wrap-up of a different kind!
Hello everyone!
As we come to the end of the year, here is a wrap-up of last’s months activities and happenings. They were pretty exciting for sure and we cannot wait to share them with you. Read on!
INTERVIEW WITH BLOGGER’S ALLIANCE: KOMAL GUPTA, PRESIDENT, HARYANA COUNCIL
An interview with Blogger’s Alliance on LinkedIn
Komal Gupta is a poetess and author. She has written two books on poetry viz ‘Verses of Time’ and ‘Of Silhouette Words & Moonflowers’. She is also a content writer.
Ronak: You write under the pen name Tejaswini Aura. How was the idea born? What was the inspiration behind it?
Komal: The answer to this question lies in the misty realms of idealism, reality, and intrinsic motivation. My inspiration lies in the everydayness of life, the wonder of the miracle of life. The smallest things, words, and gestures are a source of endless contemplation and reflection. My writing process synthesizes these ruminations, how things are not what they seem ...
COUNCIL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Priya Reganathan
Hello! I’m an artist specialising in traditional arts of Tanjore and Kerala Mural paintings. I have been in this field for the past 20 years and during this time I've held exhibitions at various venues across Delhi and Gurgaon, including the India Habitat Centre, Hungarian Cultural Institute, and Epicentre.
In addition to the traditional depictions, I've created many cross-cultural fusion pieces, such as of deities from Greek, African, Egyptian and Indonesian cultures in Tanjore-style paintings for exhibitions and on commission.
I love testing and expanding the boundaries of traditional arts and have been experimenting with overlaying these art styles to everyday-use items like customised jewelry boxes, key holders, and even sari blouses, which have been popular gifts during festival season. I'm constantly upskilling myself and have been trained under various Gurus in Pattachithra of Orissa and Bengal, Madhubani of Bihar, etc.
I have been teaching under the banner of 'Priya Tanjore Art classes'. So far I've trained over 200 students. During the peak of the pandemic, many students shared that the lessons had been a great stress and anxiety reliever for them, and painting devotional pictures gave them hope they needed to cope with these times. Many painted for themselves, and others have gone on to become teachers themselves or commissioned artists. With online classes becoming popular, I have been able to expand my base of teaching Tanjore, Kerala Mural, Pattachithra, and Madhubani abroad, with students from the US, UK, Singapore, Australia, and even Japan – it has been one of my greatest joys in life to see these traditional art forms spreading around the world.
I believe learning and teaching an art spreads peace, happiness, and self-confidence. It empowers women, especially homemakers and young ladies so that they can earn on their own and become financially independent. Learning art gives them an identity and develops their entrepreneurial skills.
Connect with me: priyaindia66@gmail.com
Sriparna Das Chakraborty
Happy to share this glorious moment with you all. Got to meet Dr. @kiranbediofficial Ma'am last weekend on account of her NGO Navjyoti India Foundation's 22nd Foundation day. I am training the rural women of Haryana in crochet in support of @navjyotiindiafoundation and getting them production ready for @aamaniscrochet. We are now bigger and stronger with more community engagement. Extremely hopeful with the new developing cluster.
Delhi Poetry Festival, with WICCI Arts Leadership Council as Outreach Partner
The past weekend of 10 and 11 December was a beautiful celebration of poetry, arts and culture at the Delhi Poetry Festival. It was an occasion to meet each other and enjoy the festive literary atmosphere. Our National President Beena Unnikrishnan and National Council Member Vasudha Arora also attended the festival and it was wonderful to meet them. WICCI Arts Leadership Council was represented at the festival as their Outreach Partner.
Sharing some pictures of the event in video format above!
We also had the tremendous pleasure to meet Sheetal Loura, a budding young poet from Hisar who held the audience enthralled with her Haryanvi poetry. Sheetal was invited by the Haryana Council and DPF to perform at the festival. Do watch her rendition of her poem in the video below.
Poem Title: Nari Shastikaran (Women Empowerment)
Visit the poet’s Youtube channel to learn more about an upcoming talented poetess with the will to bring about change with her words.
Knowledge Repository
Take a peek into the wonderful cuisine of Haryana, the Land of Rotis and umpteen dairy products, in this article by our Vice President Shefali Chopra. Do share your thoughts in comments.
FLAVOURS OF HARYANA by Shefali Chopra
Haryanvi food is simple , earthy and nutritious.
The emphasis is on fresh, wholesome and no-fuss food. Haryana with its essentially agrarian culture has retained simplicity in its cuisine. The foods are of a certain strength that carry you comfortably through the day. The magic is the slow release of energy. The art of eating sensible food comes from Haryana. They are not the kinds to munch whole day long. It’s their food that has generated many wrestlers in the country. The Pride of Haryana and the country.
Haryana is also well known for the dairy , milk and it’s products are a part of their daily consumption. Butter milk or chaas (seet ) is their favourite drink to consume during summers. Homemade butter and ghee are a part of their meals. The 'Land of Rotis' is another apt title for Haryana, as people are fond of eating different kinds of rotis here. Wheat rotis are common and so are baajre ki roti. In earlier times, rotis would be made from a flour of wheat, gram and barley.
Raabdi - 2 or 3 grains pound together soaked in dahi get fermented and is something to relish.
Burra ghee roti tops the charts
Burra Ghee Roti is a sweet dish made with Burra.. ( powdered sugar), ghee and leftover rotis. Haryanvis often indulge in this dish after a meal as dessert.
In winters it’s Bajara ki roti with dollops of white butter and Bajara ki khichadi that warms the soul. Bajara is soaked overnight. Then Moong daal and bajara are washed together and cooked in a pressure cooker along with spices. We all know that bajara is extremely good for health as it is a hardy crop.
Of course there is going to be greens to go with the roti , the all time Sarso ka Saag and Singri ki sabzi is also a part of their winter palate .
No food is not complete without green chilli or Chutney. Kachri ki chatni is very unique to the place .
Hara Dhania Choliya is an authentic dish of Haryana. Choliya or green channa is mixed with other vegetables like onion, carrots, and spices.
Food that still takes us back into time. Food that leaves us with that hearty feeling. I think it’s a great time to think local , eat local so let’s Go local ..!! ♥️
Bajra ki khichdi and Choliya.
And some more….
Did you know that:
Haryanvi cuisine is like the people of Haryana – simple, earthy and strongly linked to the land. Most Haryanvis are farmers and the state is rich in vegetables and dairy. Haryanvis are predominantly vegetarian. Haryana is well known for its cattle wealth and is the home of the famous Murrah buffalo and the Haryana cow. The Haryanavis till the land and milk their own cows. They are traditionally land-owners.
Homemade fresh butter is called ‘nooni’ or ‘tindi’ ghee and is churned daily in most homes. It is customary for a girl’s family to give her gifts of ghee (clarified butter), ‘gondh’ (edible gum), ‘laddus’ (a sweetmeat made of gram flour) and dry fruits when she becomes a mother. Buttermilk, ‘chaaj’ is a favorite drink and is an instant cooler for summers. Lassi made from yoghurt is another popular drink, almost a meal in itself. The Haryanvi’s love for lassi can be gauged from the fact that ‘thandai’, a sweet, milk based drink is called ‘kachi lassi’ in Haryana.
Source: www.sonniasingh.com/haryanavi-cuisine
Kitchen Equipment for Haryanvi Cuisine and Invitation Etiquette
The traditional stoves and ovens used to cook Haryanvi food include:
Chulha – The traditional name of the stove in the Haryanvi language is chulha. Traditional houses also have ovens (wadda chulha or band chulha) that are made from bricks, stones, and in many cases clay.
Angithi – Angithi is a traditional brazier used for space-heating and cooking in North India. It usually generate heat from burning coal and, when in use, have glowing coal or charcoal pieces but few or no flames.
Bhatti – A masonry oven is known as a Bhatti. Outdoor cooking and grilling have many different types of Bhatti.
Tandoor – The tandoor is traditionally made of clay and is a bell-shaped oven, set into the earth and fired with wood or charcoal reaching high temperatures.
Okhal aur Moosal or Hamam Dasta and Sil Batta – Spices would be ground/ crushed with the traditional mortar and pestle (Okhal aur Moosal or Hamam Dasta) and grinding stones (Sil batta).
Handi, Degchi, Patila, Karchi, Kadai, Tawa – For cooking & serving, these iron, brass and copper utensils, believed to be beneficial for health, are still used in the North India for both ritual and utilitarian purposes.
Though certain dining etiquette varies regionally, there are many practices that are common throughout North India. Family dining is an established norm in most Haryanvi families.
Bringing and sending fresh fruits, sweets and food items as gifts to family members is a common practice in North India, particularly during the spring season. Food items are distributed among neighbours as well on special occasions and as a sign to show hospitality.
Invitation for meals – Invitation to a meal or tea is generally distributed few days beforehand & denying or not turning up for the invitation for no major reason is considered a breach of etiquette.
Source:
https://gosumitup.com/haryanvi-cuisine-cuisine-from-haryana
Watch the video for a glimpse into the rich cuisine of Haryana.
Video credit: Delhi Food Walks
SelfSocially
‘SelfSocially’, our monthly column on Digital Marketing and Social Media by Council Member Ruchika Verma, a seasoned digital marketing coach and Instagram specialist, is back! This one is specifically for artists and writers. Read on!
Taking on from where we left off last time, in continuation of the topic of professional social media accounts for creators, here are some more tips, this time on using Facebook to grow your artist/creator/business profile.
The first requirement is to have an active Facebook profile. And you follow the following steps.
1. Go to pages
2. Click Create New Page
3. Add your Page name and category
4. Add your Page's bio and click Create
5. Add information like contact, location and hours, and click Next
6. Add profile and cover photos, edit the action button and click Next
Invite friends to connect with your Page, and click Next.
Click Done.
And now you can connect your Instagram profile to your Facebook business page to keep them in sync.
This should be your first step to start social media; however, if you have missed doing this it’s never too late to switch and correct the process. You are ready to explore and add value to your professional life through social media. If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments.
THE WORLD AROUND US
Here is something for the travel bug and readers inside of us!
One niche group of travellers that often gets overlooked is lovers of literature. Whether you're a fan of novelists like James Joyce or classic playwrights such as William Shakespeare, odds are there's a destination that will appeal to you…
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/literary-cities-for-book-lovers/
A question before we wrap up. Read the article below and do you see this becoming a reality. as parents and concerned citizens about the burgeoning mental health problem amongst teenagers and young children? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your Likes…
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/style/teens-social-media.html
Year-end musings and good wishes to all! Watch and be inspired:
So here it is till the next year. We come back stronger, more informed about our choices and we never give up!
Cheers and happiness to all!
Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year from us at the Haryana Council!
The Newsletter Team
Content Curation: Komal Gupta
Video Editor: Sonika Tyagi
Editor: Neetu Ralhan