Showing posts with label occasion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label occasion. Show all posts

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Fresh Starts

 

After being away from this blog for a whole year, it is time to bring it up to speed. 2025 was quite transformational as we switched cities.... again! 



Only this time it was a return to the roots. To known haunts and familiar places. Except that we didn't realise how much our city had changed in the intervening years...



Every new beginning comes with its challenges.


Can you spot the rising sun in the smoke-filled sky?


Being in the most polluted, and the most densely populated city, are certainly tribulations not to be taken lightly. Both the human congestion and the man-made smog have been overwhelming to deal with.




Add to that the extremes of temperature, and one has quite a cocktail on hand.



However, a new year is meant to instill hope, and that is what floats our boat in 2026! Looking forward to a happening year that connects us to old friends and new experiences.



Sunday, April 21, 2024

Celebrating April

 

April is always a busy and festive sort of month in our home. Sharing with you some glimpses of the month...


The first week we celebrate a birthday, and the next week we mark the anniversary of our move along with the start of the Bengali new year. 



This is also the month when the onset of summer becomes evident and the garden is full of the seasonal blossoms before the hot winds of May and June make everything barren. 



Our home has always been blessed with bowls full of sweet-smelling blossoms -- shiulis in autumn and bel or jasmine in summers. A tradition started by my mother and one that we happily continue.




For this year's new year celebration we served square rava idlis along with avocado on toast, a first for us. The avo guacamole turned out delicious and creamy and the idli-chutney combo made a hearty meal. Of course we prepared the traditional payesh too but forgot to click a picture.




Saturday, April 13, 2024

Magical Milestone


Today we completed five years of living in our current abode. Five years that passed rather quickly, I must admit! 


Much water has flown under the bridge since we came in.... and nowhere is the growth more apparent than in the way we have settled into a routine about everything, despite the frequent changes that we seem to face here. And of course, the growth can be seen in the children - from gangly teenagers loathe to changing schools in their higher classes, they gracefully dealt with a pandemic, a few losses, and a plethora of life lessons. And have now transformed into beautiful young adults who make us both happy and proud. But I digress...


Us in 2019


Today, on the auspicious occasion of the harvest festival Baisakhi, we had moved in five years back with dreams in our eyes and excitement in our hearts. Many of those dreams materialised, while some surprises were sprung at us too. But then, such is life - a mix of sweet and sour! 


Us in 2024


As we stepped out on the front porch today to enjoy the rainy afternoon, an amazing experience unfolded. A large bunch of rosy starlings chose to present their magical dance in the sky right before our eyes. 




Watching their mystical murmuration right over our heads seemed like a divine gift to mark our milestone in this abode. And perhaps a portent of things to come... But we all were so absorbed in watching the spectacle unfold that we didn't realise the camera wasn't recording. Such divine experiences are meant to be remembered only by the mind's eye!





Saturday, December 23, 2023

Enjoying Fairs & Forts

 

No posts in the last two months all thanks to the hectic festive season during which both major festivals - Durga Puja and Diwali - were thoroughly enjoyed. Now with the festive frenzy of behind us, and the children keeping busy with college and exams, we as a couple are finally finding some time together again. 


In these last two months of the year, as the year winds down, it is time to enjoy some selective pleasures. So the anniversary was spent at a well-organized local fair.



Felt great to be out on a sunny day and feel the mela vibes after a long time. Then about a month later we finally visited the iconic Red Fort in Delhi. 



That turned out to be a great trip too as we packed in the art biennale on at the premises. We finished off the trip with a short walk down famous Chandni Chowk to savour some jalebi rabri and soak in the purani Dilli vibes.



Red Fort & Chandni Chowk 

Hope to repeat this with the next gen in tow soon.



Saturday, July 1, 2023

Of Happy Endings...

 

This post is surely about happy endings. And perhaps, new beginnings... After all, endings and beginnings do go hand in hand.


But let me start at the very beginning. In mid-February, a pair of purple sunbirds built their nest on a hanging hen chime in our patio. While we watched in anticipation, the obvious never happened. For sometime in March, amidst a spate of untimely thunderstorms, the sunbirds disappeared and wouldn't return to the nest. I'm assuming (from whatever little footage we could see via our CCTV) that a bigger nocturnal bird attacked their nest.


Then again in May the purple sunbirds came back. After diligently repairing the nest, the pair started raising a brood. And this time three little chicks magically appeared one day in June.


Within a couple of weeks, with the parent birds' due care and nurturing, the triplets grew quickly. From pink blobs of flesh with eyes closed, they turned into beautiful little chicks with soft yet strong wings, yellow beaks, and the most shiny black eyes.



The nest suddenly became full of activities - the parent birds' coming and going multiple times as they brought food and groomed their babies, the chicks scrambling over each other in their eagerness to get ahead, and plenty of cheeps as the siblings moved around, perhaps flapping their new-found wings.


And before we realised, on the last morning of June, all three of them flew out, one after another. We could catch only one of them in flight, on camera.




It was the happiest and most heartwarming sight to watch the sunbird chicks take wing. With their pretty plumage all bright, the chicks flew away to new beginnings.



We marvelled at the intricacies of nature, and at how clean these tiny birds had left the nest. As we became empty nesters, albeit with our hearts full! ❤️❤️❤️





Wednesday, May 31, 2023

May Musings


May was a month of many firsts... For starters, it didn't feel like summer at all as occasional spells of rain mostly kept the temperatures bearable. In fact May was so cool that it mimicked the spring weather of March. Even the blossoms got confused, with lilies and chrysanthemums blooming together in our front lawn!



The pleasant weather also brought back the sunbirds. One fine morning they returned to the nest, repaired it, and refocused on their original plans of starting a family. So far, so good.... the birds are still active at the time of writing this post.

The daughter surprised everyone with her superb scores in the school-leaving exams. And then we turned adversity (daughter's entrance exam centre at the other end of Delhi) into opportunity (as a morning slot ensured we'd be free early), and gallivanted around town to some of our favourite places. 


The quacking ducks and their fuzzy yellow chicks stole our hearts, of course! As we relieved some precious moments from the past...



All in all, a pleasant month full of good memories. 



Sunday, January 29, 2023

Upholding Culinary Traditions

 

Growing up, my mother always made something special for the Republic Day holiday. Most often it would be the winter staple koraishutir kochuri (a fried flatbread with flavoured peas stuffing). This would be accompanied by aloor dom (a tangy preparation using boiled potatoes), a favourite in most Bengali households. 


This was a tradition that Ma carried forward from her growing-up years in Shimla. Back then Republic Day had even more significance since the previous generation had lived through the freedom struggle.


After she left, I kept craving the koraishutir kochuri through the winters but could not gather the confidence to try making them myself. The meal required some work, time and patience, and all were in short supply in the intervening years.



Finally this year, a whole seven years after she went away, my craving got the better of me, and I resolved to try making koraishutir kochuri. Making the peas stuffing is fairly easy. Filling up the dough balls with the right amount, and then rolling them out perfectly is the tough part. The first attempt went by better than expected and so, on Republic Day I finally prepared a second batch of my favourite meal of winters. Along with aloor dom, of course. And some halwa for dessert.


Thus upholding a much-loved culinary tradition started by my amazing mother. 😍 Needless to say, the family loved it. 




Thursday, December 12, 2019

Deepawali Vignettes


Snapshots from around the house on our first Diwali in the new abode.

First, the preparations...



Then the new upholstery...


And the lights...




Then finally the festivities...






Friends, family and feasting added to the sweetness of the festive season! :)


Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The First Winter Blossoms

Yes, they are out.... the first winter blossoms of the season, just in time for Christmas. :)


It is amazing how these pretty Nasturtium blooms gladden my heart every time they bloom. Their bright, cheery faces are nothing less than food for the soul.


Here is wishing all my readers a merry, merry x-mas and a fabulous, exciting new year.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Eco-Friendly Diwali

We celebrated an eco-friendly Diwali this year with no crackers.


Not that it made us inhale any less smoke, given that we had neighbours who went berserk! But our decorations were all kept natural and floral...


Including the pooja decorations.


After all it is the festival of lights....


Not one of sound and pollution!


Hope better sense prevails next year.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Happy Diwali

Wishing my readers a very happy and prosperous Diwali.


May the festival of lights bring joy, happiness, warmth, love and peace into your lives.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Diwali Snapshots

I'm back after a whole month.... with a bang and such a festive hangover! :)




This year the festivals have been extra special for us because they were our first in the new house. And Diwali being the most favourite festival in our family, we went all out for it. Here is how the house looked on the big night, all lit up, and resplendent like a bride on her wedding day!



Preparations for Diwali began a week before. Braving traffic jams and parking paranoia, we got candles and diyas from the famous Diwali Mela at Blind School. This mela or fair is more than 30 years old, and has rows and rows of such interesting stalls. But most importantly, I must say the quality of the products made at the Blind School is exceptionally good. Our candles outlasted all the others in the neighbourhood! :)



To add to our decor, we made paper lanterns made at home. Fun thing to do with the kids too.



Rangoli patterns and loads of marigold flowers completed the special Diwali look.



The tiny feet of Goddess Lakshmi leading up to our main door. As per traditional thought, she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and this ensures that she stays with us through the year!




And of course, the special Lakshmi puja that is such an important part of this festival in my husband's family. Love the warmth of the oranges and yellows in this picture.... and the glow of the candles and diyas.


We finished off the celebrations with a final show of crackers on the rooftop which the kids really enjoyed.

Hope your Diwali was wonderful, warm and loving. Wishing all my readers a prosperous year ahead!

Friday, September 25, 2009

On A Festive Break!


Today I participated in Durga Puja festivities in my new locality albeit with some old friends. I will be away from blogging for the next few days as I'm going to be busy with the festive season.

Here's wishing all my readers a happy Durga Puja and Dusshera. May the goddess shower health, happiness and harmony for all.... Leaving you all with this image of the goddess in our new home.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Busy Season Starts

I know I have been away from this blog for a while. I was kept busy with:

Spending a day with, and entertaining some dear friends
Hoping our kids get to forge bonds of friendship in the process

Recovering from another bad bout of flu
Thanking my stars it wasn't the swine variety

Celebrating my darling daughter's fourth birthday
Sharing her excitement through her special day

Shopping like crazy for the kids and the home in anticipation of the festival season
Planning how to celebrate the bunch of upcoming festivals

Here is a collage of pictures depicting the above (the good bits, of course).


I can foresee that this month and the next my blog posts are likely to be few and far between, but I'll try my best to keep up the pace.

In the meanwhile, hope you all enjoy the festive season! :)



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