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| The Bandra Saraswati Pujo: Getting The Travelling Belly blessed |
It has been a busy week and happy week for my book, The Travelling Belly.
The first public reading of the book happened last Saturday. I also got the blessed by the Goddess of learning on Saraswati Puja. The book was spotted at the Kolkata Book Fair and its launch event at the HT Kala Ghoda Art Festival was formally announced.
The Saraswati Puja at Bandra and rekindling childhood memories
Saraswati Puja happened a couple of days of back. Saraswati is the Goddess of learning in the Hindu pantheon and this day is dedicated to her.
As kids we used to look forward to Saraswati Pujo (puja) while
growing up in Kolkata. It was the one day in the year when we were given a break from studying. We were supposed to keep our books by the idol of the Goddess to be blessed by her.
growing up in Kolkata. It was the one day in the year when we were given a break from studying. We were supposed to keep our books by the idol of the Goddess to be blessed by her.
We used to have a community pujo in our apartment complex in Kolkata. Us
youngsters were given a big role in organizing the puja and we would help in putting up the decorations and in
serving the food with the support of the kakus and mashis…the grown ups. My building friends and I would spend our time chatting with each other and in the evening there would
some sort of cultural programme with little skits, elocution and some singing
and dance performances too. That puja is still going strong though most of my friends and I have moved out of Kolkata.
youngsters were given a big role in organizing the puja and we would help in putting up the decorations and in
serving the food with the support of the kakus and mashis…the grown ups. My building friends and I would spend our time chatting with each other and in the evening there would
some sort of cultural programme with little skits, elocution and some singing
and dance performances too. That puja is still going strong though most of my friends and I have moved out of Kolkata.
I went to the Saraswati Puja at Mumbai’s Bandra, organized by local Bengalis, this year as I have for the past few years. This is my parar (local) pujo now.
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| Getting The Travelling Belly blessed |
As usual, I reached at lunch time after the religious rituals were over. This time I didn’t head straight to the
bhog (food) counter though.
bhog (food) counter though.
I went to the pandal where the protima (idol of the Goddess) was kept. I got the first copy that I had
received of my book, The Travelling Belly, blessed by the Goddess. The priest
put the book in front of the idol of the Goddess, said a prayer and then gave
me the book back along with some flowers from what had been offered.
received of my book, The Travelling Belly, blessed by the Goddess. The priest
put the book in front of the idol of the Goddess, said a prayer and then gave
me the book back along with some flowers from what had been offered.
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| Saraswati Pujo bhog at Bandra Clockwise: khichuri, papor, beguni, payesh, totkari, tomato chutney |
After which I headed for bhog and had some nice khichuri and beguni and torkari, chutney and payesh and papor
too. Dishes that symbolize Saraswati Pujo to Bengalis across the world. ‘Bhog’ means food that is blessed by the Gods and then served to devotees. In the Bandra Pujo, this is served on the house to all those who come at lunch time.
too. Dishes that symbolize Saraswati Pujo to Bengalis across the world. ‘Bhog’ means food that is blessed by the Gods and then served to devotees. In the Bandra Pujo, this is served on the house to all those who come at lunch time.
I’ve
started making this khichuri pretty often these days for my lunch when Banu
bunks. Though the belief among us Bengalis is that the taste of the bhoger khichuri can’t
be replicated at home. A bit like what Sikhs say about langar food.
started making this khichuri pretty often these days for my lunch when Banu
bunks. Though the belief among us Bengalis is that the taste of the bhoger khichuri can’t
be replicated at home. A bit like what Sikhs say about langar food.
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| With friends in my adopted city, remembering the friends I have left behind |
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| My Happy Saraswati Pujo face |
Festivals are as much about religion as
they are about collective memories and culture, and food of course.
they are about collective memories and culture, and food of course.
The Travelling Belly Book reading at the APB Food Book Club meet
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| The Travelling Belly displayed at the APB Cook Studio |
Talking of books, I had a very interesting experience last Saturday. This was at the APB
Cook Studio. They have a book club too which is called the APB Food Book Club. My friend Rushina Munshaw Ghildayal, who runs it, had invited me to a reading of my book there.
Cook Studio. They have a book club too which is called the APB Food Book Club. My friend Rushina Munshaw Ghildayal, who runs it, had invited me to a reading of my book there.
This is the only book club that I know of which is dedicated
specifically to food books.
specifically to food books.
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| Talking to Rushina about the Kolkata chapter in my book |
This was the first public reading of my book. It was rather apt that it happened at the APB Studio given that The Travelling Belly was conceived
here in a manner of speaking.
here in a manner of speaking.
How come, you ask? Well, I had come to the studio to attend a reading of Ritu Dalmia’s book, Diva Green way back in 2013.
Rushina introduced me to Poulomi Chatterjee of Hachette India, who had published Dalmia’s book, that evening.
Rushina introduced me to Poulomi Chatterjee of Hachette India, who had published Dalmia’s book, that evening.
Poulomi and I met the next day, discussed ideas and The Travelling Belly was
the result of that with the contract coming through in early February 2014.
the result of that with the contract coming through in early February 2014.
Rushina, who was one the first food
bloggers to write a book herself, was very keen that she hosted my first book
event and I am so glad that it worked out that way.
bloggers to write a book herself, was very keen that she hosted my first book
event and I am so glad that it worked out that way.
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| A cracker of an adda at the APB Food Book Club The Travelling Belly reading |
What we did at the meet was an adda in the truest
Bengali fashion. I read out bits from the Kolkata chapter of the book and then
all of us in the room chatted together about Kolkata and its food. It was as if
we were all celebrating our love for Kolkata that evening in the APB Cook
Studio in Mumbai and sharing it with those who hadn’t been to the city yet.
Bengali fashion. I read out bits from the Kolkata chapter of the book and then
all of us in the room chatted together about Kolkata and its food. It was as if
we were all celebrating our love for Kolkata that evening in the APB Cook
Studio in Mumbai and sharing it with those who hadn’t been to the city yet.
The audience was a mix of APB Food Book Club members, contest winners
and some of my Bengali friends from Mumbai whom I knew from the early days of
my blogging and who have been with me through the journey.
and some of my Bengali friends from Mumbai whom I knew from the early days of
my blogging and who have been with me through the journey.
The idea
of a food book club is really interesting given the growing interest in
food and the food media. People relate to food in
different ways and the books coming out reflect that. Some focus on recipes,
some on history, some on international cuisine, some regional, some are anecdotal
and some scholastic, some meant for experts and some for those who love food and want
to know more.
of a food book club is really interesting given the growing interest in
food and the food media. People relate to food in
different ways and the books coming out reflect that. Some focus on recipes,
some on history, some on international cuisine, some regional, some are anecdotal
and some scholastic, some meant for experts and some for those who love food and want
to know more.
The book club allows food book lovers of all genres to come together and feed off each other’s
enthusiasm and passion for food.
enthusiasm and passion for food.
I must also say
that this was on the most wonderfully organised events I have been to.
Everything happened with clockwork precision and that’s thanks to the efforts
of those who worked behind the scenes from APB Food Book Club Team.
that this was on the most wonderfully organised events I have been to.
Everything happened with clockwork precision and that’s thanks to the efforts
of those who worked behind the scenes from APB Food Book Club Team.
Take for example the time when I wanted
to read a bit from the Flurys section and couldn’t find it myseld. I didn’t want to
break the flow of the evening so I decided to let it be and moved on without reading that part. In two minutes I found someone from the
APB team by my side with the book open. She had scoured through the book to find
the chapter in between tweeting, attending to guests and organising the snacks.
She verified whether this was the right passage with K and then came and gave
me the passage to read!
to read a bit from the Flurys section and couldn’t find it myseld. I didn’t want to
break the flow of the evening so I decided to let it be and moved on without reading that part. In two minutes I found someone from the
APB team by my side with the book open. She had scoured through the book to find
the chapter in between tweeting, attending to guests and organising the snacks.
She verified whether this was the right passage with K and then came and gave
me the passage to read!
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| Lovely adda |
A good adda thrives on jolkhabar (snacks).
Amit Roy of Peetuk Caterers treated us to some amazing aam panna, jhal muri,
mochar chop, egg devil, fish fry and koriashootir kochuri and then kheer
patishapta at the reading. Barring the drinks and the desserts, everything was made at the
studio premises during the event by the Peetuk chefs aided by the APB Studio team. The food came seamlessly, without disrupting
the flow and was well appreciated by the crowd.
Amit Roy of Peetuk Caterers treated us to some amazing aam panna, jhal muri,
mochar chop, egg devil, fish fry and koriashootir kochuri and then kheer
patishapta at the reading. Barring the drinks and the desserts, everything was made at the
studio premises during the event by the Peetuk chefs aided by the APB Studio team. The food came seamlessly, without disrupting
the flow and was well appreciated by the crowd.
The former Kolkatans in the
audience loved the memories the food evoked. The non-Kolkatans were tempted, post the
meal, to book tickets to Kolkata.
audience loved the memories the food evoked. The non-Kolkatans were tempted, post the
meal, to book tickets to Kolkata.
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| Jhal muri and aam panna |
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| Koraishootir kochuri (green peas kachori) |
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| Chops: There were egg devils, mochar chop and fish fry too |
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The way the three parties – APB Cook
Studio, Peetuk Caterers and the Hachette India team in Delhi – came together to land a
great event with no glitches was amazing.
Studio, Peetuk Caterers and the Hachette India team in Delhi – came together to land a
great event with no glitches was amazing.
They truly worked like a team of
people who, as the saying goes, were as if they were many in body but one in
mind. Their love and affection for The Travelling Belly was palpable, as was that of my friends who said they wouldn’t have missed this for anything, and I couldn’t have asked for a better and more generous and magnanimous first event for the book.
people who, as the saying goes, were as if they were many in body but one in
mind. Their love and affection for The Travelling Belly was palpable, as was that of my friends who said they wouldn’t have missed this for anything, and I couldn’t have asked for a better and more generous and magnanimous first event for the book.
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| Truly a wonderful evening at the APB Cook studio |
The Travelling Belly at the Kolkata Book Fair
My birthday is just around the corner. In Kolkata, while growing up, I would go to the Calcutta Book Fair clutching precious birthday gift money that I would receive. I would use this to buy books. Collections of Maupassant, O’Henry, Wodehouse, RK Narayanan, Roald Dahl, Asimov and earlier on encyclopaedias on wars and history.
Now, I am not a kid and live in Mumbai. i buy books through the year and don’t have to wait for that one time in the year. However, I was thrilled to see a picture put up by my friend Debjani, whom I am yet to meet in person, about The Travelling Belly being spotted with bestsellers at a shop at the Kolkata Book Fair.
The night felt special.
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| The Travelling Belly spotted at the Kolkata Book Fair |
Announcing the date for the formal launch of The Travelling Belly
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| 6th February, 2017 |
Saraswati Pujo was also the day when I
announced the launch event for the book on social media and there couldn’t be a more auspicious
day to do so.
announced the launch event for the book on social media and there couldn’t be a more auspicious
day to do so.
In case you missed my post then you would be happy to know that the launch will be at the prestigious HT Kala Ghoda Arts Festival which is located at
the hub of the part of the city where I fell in love with Mumbai and its food years
back.
the hub of the part of the city where I fell in love with Mumbai and its food years
back.
And what a panel to launch the look book. I am lucky enough to have Kunal
Vijayakar, Kurush Dalal and Vikram Doctor doing the honours. Three legends whose food stories I
have feasted on and from whom I have learnt so much from over the years.
Vijayakar, Kurush Dalal and Vikram Doctor doing the honours. Three legends whose food stories I
have feasted on and from whom I have learnt so much from over the years.
Please do come to launch to cheer and bless
the book if you can.
the book if you can.
The details are as follows:
Date: 6th February 2017
Time: 6 pm to 7 pm
Venue: Cross Maidan, Churchgate
Hope to see you there.
This week has told me that The Travelling Belly has been blessed with a lot of love and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this.
Also of interest:
1. A clip of the part I read from Flurys at the APB Food Book Club meet
2. An interview with Ruth DSouza Prabhu which appeared in Food Lovers India on the writing of the book
3. My post on the Diva Green launch where The Travelling Belly story had started
4. Link website of the APB Cook Studio
This week has told me that The Travelling Belly has been blessed with a lot of love and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this.
Also of interest:
1. A clip of the part I read from Flurys at the APB Food Book Club meet
2. An interview with Ruth DSouza Prabhu which appeared in Food Lovers India on the writing of the book
3. My post on the Diva Green launch where The Travelling Belly story had started
4. Link website of the APB Cook Studio
More pictures from the book club reading. All pictures courtesy APB Food Book Studio
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| With Rushina and Romi |
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| Eat seasonal. Have koraishootir kochuri |
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| Utpal who won the Twitter contest to be a part of the event |
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| With Rushina Munshaw Ghildayal whom The Travelling Belly and I owe a lot to |
