ABOUT WEST BENGAL....MY BIRTH PLACE
The land of fertile soil steeped in culture and tradition drew most of them into Bengal's heart. Bengal's mysticism coupled with its intoxicating charm; Bengal's throbbing heart and its pulsating life has a unique flavor.
In West Bengal most of the people speak Bengali and they are very proud of their language.Culture to the Bengali community is as valuable as air and water to living beings. What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow. With the possible exception of the southern part of India, no other region can claim such a rich heritage or flourishing contemporary culture as Bengal.
Tagore’s international recognition brought a renaissance in the culture of Bengal and Bengalis could proudly hold their heads up high. Bengali culture had established itself as the world’s greatest culture. Bengalis have a high regard for scholarship and learning. Calcutta University, with 200,000 students, is the world’s largest degree factory and an explosive center of learning. It is from the countryside of eastern India that Bengali culture draws its inspiration.
ABOUT BENGALI'S MARRIAGE....JUST WOW!!!!!!!
Its a great pleasure to be present in a Bengali "biye-baari"(wedding), which takes place in an extremely traditional way. The marriage normally does not take place between close blood relatives and persons having the same gotras. Also there are few months when the Bengalis don't have their wedding. That is between middle of December to middle of January (Poush), middle of March to middle of April (Chaitra) and middle of August to middle of September(Bhaadra).
The marriage is conducted only in the evening, in the presence of a priest, at the house of normally the bride. On the wedding day,the ceremonies, ‘Dodhi Mangal’ and ‘Gaaye halud’ (turmeric bath) will be held in both the houses on the wedding day, very early in the morning, before sunrise. The place where the wedding takes place is fully decorated with attractive patterns(alpona) made out of rice paste with water.
Small banana trees are placed at the entrance of the house. Under the tree, a mangal ghot (usually a small, copper pitcher-shaped vessel) is placed. In the ghot, a mango stem with five leaves (amra pallab) is placed in water. This tree and the ghot are kept for ten days after the wedding. On the side of the ghot, a Sri (star sign) symbol is drawn with sindoor mixed in oil. The door of the entrance is decorated with a string of mango leaves, which stays for a period of one year after marriage.
NOW COMES FOOD...JUST YUMMYYYYY......
Bengali cuisine takes in the five basic tastes of astringent, bitter, sweet, sour and hot. Bengalis are, on the whole, an infectiously passionate lot and few things unite them more than their common passion for food—especially for fish. No meal is considered complete without it. Symbols of fertility, fish are touched by husbands and then sent to their brides before the wedding ceremony. No Bengali meal is complete without sweets. From the ubiquitous mishti doi and rossogolla, to the more rare pithey and pulli, the choice here too is unlimited.
In fact, Bengalis have, with justification, such high regard for their food that it is usually heard that there are only four great cuisines in the world—French, Chinese, Italian and Bengali!! Even though Bengalis are famed for their fish fixation, the array of vegetarian items that form part of their cuisine is amazing.
It is said that nothing goes to waste in a Bengali kitchen. The leaves of the banana plant are used for serving, the stems (thor) are cooked as ghonto or chhechhki, the blossoms (mocha) are also consumes as ghonto and paturi (a way of cooking food wrapped in banana leaves). The fruit is available both in the ripe and raw form, the latter being considered ideal for koftas. And what do you know, even the peel is crushed and ground to a paste and fried for a delicious starter!
Whether you have five dishes or sixty, the most important part of eating in Bengal is eating each dish seperately with a little bit of rice in order to savour its individual bouquet. The more delicate tastes always come first and it is only by graduating from these to stronger ones that you can accommodate the whole range of taste.
Vegetables, especially the bitter ones, are the first item followed by dal, perhaps accompanied by fries or fritters of fish and vegetables. After this comes any of the complex vegetable dishes like ghanto or chachchari, followed by the important fish jhol as well as other fish preparations. Meat will always follow fish, and chutneys and ambals will provide the refeshing touch of tartness to make the tongue anticipate the sweet dishes.
Whether having an elaborate meal at home, or tucking in at a restaurant, Bengali cuisine has much to offer. Small wonder then that it is that said Bengalis live to eat. Some of the most popular recipes are Matha Diye Moonger Dal, Narkel Shorsher Chingri, Doi Maachh, Potoler Dolma, Labra, Shukto, Ghugni, Cholar-daal, Oal kochu bata, Chingri maachher malai kari, Dhokar dalna, Alu posto, Bhapa Ilish, Deemer-dalna, and among the sweetmeats, Patishapta, Chaaler Payesh, Rosogulla and Bhappa Doi, to name a few.
AAMAR SONAAR BANGLA.....
