Category: history

The Other Kumbh

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

The town of Kumbakonam in Tamilnadu has a hoary history. It is supposed to be the cradle of life of this yug, namely the Kali Yug. Each yug ends with a pralayam or flood which leads to the destruction of all living beings on the earth. When the last yug was about to end, Brahma put the seeds of all living organisms as well as the Vedas and Puranas, in a pot called the Amrita Kalasam or Kumbham (pot of nectar).

The pot was befittingly decorated with flowers, leaves, ausipicious cloth, sandalwood paste and a sacred thread. The Kumbham’s mouth was stopped with a coconut and it was placed on the top of mount Meru.

When the floods came, they destroyed all creatures on earth. The Kumbham prepared by Brahma was displaced, and floated on the flood waters for years and years. Finally, it settled at a spot considered to be present-day Kumbakonam.

But the seeds had to be released in order for life to start again on earth. Siva, in the guise of a hunter, discharged an arrow from His bow, breaking open the pot. The seeds of life and the Vedas and puranas in the pot were scattered around, and thus life on earth re-started.

And this spot is the site of the other great Kumbh festival. The place where the pot broke and the contents flowed out–Mahamaham kulam (tank) is where the Mahamaham festival is celebrated.  

While Masimaham is an annual event that occurs and thousands of people gather for a dip during this time, it takes on special significance once in twelve years. For it is believed that every 12 years, when Jupiter passes over Leo, the waters of all of India’s holiest rivers, including the Ganges, flow into the tank, and it is at this time that the Kumbh mela of South India is celebrated at the Mahamaham tank. Since it is believed that all the rivers of India meet at the tank on this day, a bath here is considered equal to the combined dips in all the holy rivers of India! Over 10 lakh people congregate here for the event.

Kumbakonam, meaning ‘pot’s corner’ to remind us of where the pot-of-life landed, is considered a very holy place. There are any number of ancient temples in and around the town—there is a temple wherever any shard of the pot landed. In all, there are around 188 temples within the municipal limits of Kumbakonam!

The region around Kumbakonam was inhabited as early as the Sangam Age (third century BC to third century AD), and it has played its role in the history of the region.

Down the passage of time, Kumbakonam has been a major learning center. During the British times, it was referred to as the “Cambridge of the South” with several institutions of repute, the most notable of them being the Government Arts College, considered one of the oldest colleges in Tamil Nadu. The town is home to many libraries and is considered the hub of modern Tamil writing.

Kumbakonam, relative to its size, is associated with more than its share of great achievers, including:

Srinivasa Ramanujam, the world-famous mathematician was born here and studied here. After a stint in Chennai, he went to Cambridge where he shook the world of mathematics with his uncanny understanding of numbers.

MS Swaminathan, the agricultural scientist who saved India from food-crisis and laid the foundation for food-security in our country.

Indira Parthasarathy, a Padma Shri awardee and reputed Tamil novelist whose works have been translated into many world languages.

Srinivasa Sastry, dubbed the Silver Tounged Orator of the British Empire by Winston Churchill, who played a prominent role in the Independence struggle and was an educator and administrator of repute.

2028 will see the next Mahamagam in Kumbakonam. Over 20 lakh people are expected to participate. But don’t wait till then to visit this town—it has so much to offer.

-Meena

Dedicated to Malathi Athai, whose house in Kumabakonam is the site of the most cherished memories of summer vacations.

A Kumbh Experience

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

It has dominated the news for the last month or more. It has broken records. The numbers are counted not in thousands, but in crores. It is the headline-making event of a century and a half…It is the Mahakumbh Mela.

The many records being broken may also include the media coverage which breathlessly recounts every VIP visit and holy dip that has become a “must do must show” part of every itinerary.

Over a hundred years ago, another newsmaker also visited the Kumbh. And as was his wont, wrote about the experience in his own words. This was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

Gandhi had returned to India in January 1915 after spending almost a quarter century in South Africa. After spending a few days in Mumbai, he proceeded to Pune to meet Gopal Krishna Gokhale who he considered as his mentor. Gokhale advised that if Gandhi were to plan to remain in India and work for the people of this country, he first needed to acquaint himself better, first hand, with the country and its people. It was decided that this orientation would be through a journey across India by train, travelling by third class, as the common people did. Gandhi did indeed embark upon such a journey after a short visit to Calcutta, Shantiniketan and Burma.

In his own words: I, having been out of India for so long, have no business to form any definite conclusions on matters essentially Indian, and that I should pass some time here as an observer and a student. This I have promised to do, and I hope to carry out my promise.

Early in these travels Gandhi visited the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar. He recounts his experiences and impressions in his autobiography. Some excerpts:

This year – 1915 – was the year of the Kumbha fair, which is held at Hardvar once every 12 years. I was by no means eager to attend the fair, but I was anxious to meet Mahatma Munshiramji who was in his Gurukul. Gokhale’s Society had sent a big volunteer corps for service at the Kumbha. Pandit Hridayanath Kunzru was at the head, and the late Dr. Dev was the medical officer. I was invited to send the Phoenix party to assist them, and so Maganlal Gandhi had already preceded me. On my return from Rangoon, I joined the band.

Our stay in Shantiniketan had taught us that the scavenger’s work would be our special function in India. Now for the volunteers in Hardvar tents had been pitched in a dharmashala, and Dr. Dev had dug some pits to be used as latrines. He had to depend on paid scavengers for looking after these. Here was work for the Phoenix party. We offered to cover up the excreta with earth and to see to their disposal, and Dr. Dev gladly accepted our offer. The offer was naturally made by me, but it was Maganlal Gandhi who had to execute it. My business was mostly to keep sitting in the tent giving darshan and holding religious and other discussions with numerous pilgrims who called on me. This left me not a minute which I could call my own. I was followed even to the bathing ghat by these darshan-seekers, nor did they leave me alone whilst I was having my meals. Thus it was in Hardvar that I realized what a deep impression my humble services in South Africa had made throughout the whole of India.

But this was no enviable position to be in. I felt as though I was between the devil and the deep sea. Where no one recognized me, I had to put up with the hardships that fall to the lot of the millions in this land, e.g., in railway travelling. Where I was surrounded by people who had heard of me I was the victim of their craze for darshan. Which of the two conditions was more pitiable, I have often been at a loss to determine. This at least I know that the darshanvalas’ blind love has often made me angry, and more often sore at heart. Whereas travelling, though often trying, has been uplifting and has hardly ever roused me to anger.

I was in those days strong enough to roam about a lot, and was fortunately not so known as not to be able to go in the streets without creating much fuss. During these roamings I came to observe more of the pilgrims’ absent mindedness, hypocrisy and slovenliness, than of their piety. The swarm of sadhus, who had descended there, seemed to have been born to enjoy the good things of life.

The day of the fair was now upon us. It proved a red letter day for me. I had not gone to Hardvar with the sentiments of a pilgrim. I have never thought of frequenting places of pilgrimage in search of piety. But the seventeen lakhs of men that were reported to be there could not all be hypocrites or mere sight-seers. I had no doubt that countless people amongst them had gone there to earn merit and for self-purification. It is difficult, if not impossible, to say to what extent this kind of faith uplifts the soul.

I therefore passed the whole night immersed in deep thought. There were those pious souls in the midst of the hypocrisy that surrounded them. They would be free of guilt before their Maker. If the visit to Hardvar was in itself a sin, I must publicly protest against it, and leave Hardvar on the day of Kumbha. If the pilgrimage to Hardvar and to the Kumbha fair was not sinful, I must impose some act of self-denial on myself in atonement for the iniquity prevailing there and purify myself. This was quite natural for me. My life is based on disciplinary resolutions.

So I pledged myself never whilst in India to take more than five articles in twenty-four hours, and never to eat after dark. I gave the fullest thought to the difficulties I might have to face. But I wanted to leave no loophole. I rehearsed to myself what would happen during an illness, if I counted medicine among the five articles, and made no exception in favour of special articles of diet. I finally decided that there should be no exception on any account whatsoever.

But the Hardvar experiences proved for me to be of inestimable value. They helped me in no small way to decide where I was to live and what I was to do.

Just over a century later, how much has changed, and yet, how much remains the same? Food for thought!

–Mamata

Angostura Bitters to settle the Stomach

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

Queasy stomachs have plagued humanity since ancient times. Many have been the remedies, each with its own followers and detractors. For instanc, in India, ginger, omam (ajwain), jeera, curd are all popular.

Somewhere in ancient times, probably in Egypt, wine infused with herbs became a popular remedy for uneasy stomachs.  The popularity of such infusions, called bitters, was high till even a hundred years ago.

Bitters are ‘liquid aromatic alcohol-based infusions of bittering botanicals and flavoring agents’. They are extracts of seeds, herbs, roots, bark, leaves, flowers, and fruit liquid from various plants.  While they started out as medicines, soon another use was found for bitters.

Today, we have two types of bitters: Digestive bitters and Cocktail bitters. Digestive bitters aid in the digestion of food and are usually sipped straight, on the rocks, after a meal and are popular in Europe. Cocktail bitters are made from a tincture of water and alcohol, containing spices and plant-based components.  They are too strong to be had neat, and are added to cocktails to elevate the taste and add a dash of sophistication.

Of all the bitters, Angostura Bitters are probably the best known, and are a staple for every bartender and cocktail-mixer, and are used in classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan. More than that, they are in every kitchen cupboard in Trinidad and Tobago where they are made, as a home remedy for stomach problems. They are also an important ingredient in many local dishes.

Angostura is a tree native to South America, but strangely, the famous bitters are not made from the bark of this tree. Rather, they get their name from the town of Angostura in Venezuela, where they were invented. (The name of the town was changed subsequently, and it is now known as Ciduad Bolivar).

They were first concocted in 1824 as a medicine for the army of Simon Bolivar by a German army surgeon called Johann Siegert in the town of Angostura. He called it ‘Amargo Aromatico’. Dr. Siegert started exporting this to Europe, USA and the Caribbean. Apart from its use as a medicine, this product caught the fancy of bartenders at a time when cocktails were just becoming popular. Demand boomed.

The Siegert family migrated to Trinidad in the mid-19th century and started manufacturing the tincture in Port of Spain, the capital. And the company flourished.

Angostura Bitters were something one had vaguely read about. It definitely did not loom large in our lives. Till we visited family in Trinidad. Then we realized how big a thing it was!

A tour of the Bitters factory was of course on the essential itinerary. It was an overwhelming experience, especially to the nose! The pervasive smell of alcohol and herbs and tinctures almost made one dizzy.

All the processes of making the Bitters were on display. But the critical part is a secret—the mix and proportions of the herbs which go into making the product! It is apparently one of the world’s longest-held culinary mysteries, and no one has been able to replicate it exactly! Apparently only five people are privy to the secret.

Another part of the myth and legend of Angostura Bitters is the over-sized labels on the bottles. Apparently, in the late 1800s, Siegert’s sons decided to re-brand the product.   As a part of a competition, one brother designed the new bottle, while another designed the new label. But they did not discuss their designs with each till it was too late. So the labels that had been printed were too big for the bottles they made!  Though the Siegerts lost the competition, one savvy judge advised them to keep the design as it was. He said that this would help the packaging stand out among the competition. And that is exactly what has happened! The oversize labels area distinctive feature even today.

I remembered my bottle of Angostura Bitters from our trip to Port of Spain trip when I recently had a stomach upset. Whether thanks to this or some of the other home remedies I tried, I was better soon!

–Meena

 

 

Continuing Celebrations: Chinese Spring Festival

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

As most are surfacing after celebrations that ushered in a new calendar year 2025, it is continuing celebrations for a large population to welcome another new year. This is the Chinese New Year which begins on 29 January this year. This follows the lunar calendar which is based on the 28-day cycle of the moon. The New Year is calculated according to the second new moon after the winter solstice, and this year it fell on 29 January. The New Year day is, in fact, the start of a fifteen-day  celebration which is known as the Spring Festival in China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th day. Each day has a special significance and is marked with its set of traditional rituals, lore, and celebration which involve the whole families.

New Year shopping in a traditional Chinese market

For some families, the preparations for the longer festival begin even earlier, on the eighth day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, with a festival called Laba. The name is derived from the Chinese words for the 12th month (La) and 8 (Ba). Traditionally the festival also marked the start of the agricultural calendar. On this day prayers are offered to ancestors and gods for fortune and a good harvest. Laba congee, a porridge containing different types of rice, beans, dried nuts, bean curd and meat is eaten.

This marks the beginning of the preparations for the lunar New Year which include cleaning the house by “sweeping away the dust”, shopping for food, new clothes, buying fireworks, preparing gifts and decorations, and prayers to the stove god.

The decorations include red lanterns, paper cuttings, and red spring couplets. The couplets are complementary poetic lines which adhere to certain rules. The spring couplets are written in black ink on red paper, one half affixed vertically on each side of a door, and usually express best wishes for the coming year. Putting up those decorations is thought to keep evil away, and a prayer for blessing, longevity, health, and peace.

Finally it is New Year’s Eve. This is considered as, if not more important than, New Year’s day. The highlight is the family reunion dinner which includes several generations, many who travel long distances to be together for this family gathering. Before they eat, the family makes offerings including food, wine, joss sticks and joss paper to their ancestors.

The dinner menu includes dishes which have symbolic meaning including whole fish, dumplings, sticky rice cake, and spring rolls. After dinner, parents usually give their children money in red envelopes. This is believed to bring good luck, and carry wishes for health, growth, and good studies in the coming year. The family stays up until midnight to usher in the New Year, a tradition called shousui (to keep watch over the year). The start of the New Year is announced with firecrackers and fireworks. It is believed that the louder the firecrackers, the better and luckier it will be for business and farming in the coming year.

Then it is officially the New Year, which marks the start of the 15-day Spring Festival. Each day has its own significance and associated traditions; some customs may vary between regions and groups.

Day 1: People put on new clothes and wish each other with the greeting ”gongxi” meaning “respectful joy.” It is a day of visits. The oldest and most senior members are visited, as well as other relatives and friends. Guests are welcomed with tea and sweet treats, such as sugared fruits which are supposed to sweeten one’s upcoming year. Sweets and fruits are served on a round or octagonal tray – the form resembling togetherness.  Most likely the amount of sweets will be arranged in eight units, as the number eight symbolises luck. The visitor also carries a small gift for the hosts–usually oranges, tangerines, or mandarins, as the fruit symbolises gold, hence wealth and good fortune.

In some traditions it is believed that abstaining from meat on this day will enhance longevity. A traditional Buddhist vegetarian dish is prepared using eighteen different ingredients, each of which has a symbolic meaning. Eighteen is believed to be a lucky number signifying wealth and prosperity.  There are also temple fairs and activities in parks such as Lion dances and Dragon dances, which are enjoyed by families.

Day 2: This is the day when married women visit their parents, accompanied by their husbands, with gifts and red envelopes for the family.

On this day, people offer sacrifices to the God of Wealth, wishing for a luckier and more prosperous year. People say that after being offered sacrifices, the God of Wealth, leaves for heaven on this day.

Day 3: This is not considered as an auspicious day as it is believed that evil spirits roam around. People avoid visiting friends and relatives and stay at home. Traditionally the house is not swept on the first two days of the New Year so as not to sweep away the good luck accrued by the litter of firecrackers, red paper, wrappers, and other evidence of celebration on the floor. This is the day when the house is swept after New Year’s Eve. There is also a legend that this is the day when rats get married, so people leave some rice in the kitchen as gifts, and sleep early so as not to disturb rats. In return the rats would not disturb the family for the whole year.

Day 4, 5 and 6: People resume visits to friends, relatives and temples. Different regions of China have some variations in the traditions associated with these days. The fourth day is one to honour the God of the Kitchen with the prayer to continue watching over the kitchen. Day five honours the God of Wealth for good fortune. People usually stay at home in case they are visited by the God on this day. It is also the day to light firecrackers to drive away the five bad lucks: of intelligence, learning ability, literacy, life, and relationships.

Day 7: According to a legend, Nuwa the goddess created the world. It is believed that she spent the first six days creating animals. Each day of the festival is also believed to be the birthday of the different animals that she is believed to have created in sequence. On the seventh day she created humans. Thus this is the birthday of humans. The day is celebrated with certain foods. The ingredients of the dishes are healthy and have a symbolic meaning.

Day 8: People normally return to work on the eighth day. As eight is the luckiest number in China, most businesses like to reopen on day 8 of the New Year.

Day 9:  This is the birthday of Jade Emperor, said to be the God of all Heavens. People go to ponds and rivers to pray to the gods with offerings of fragrant flower candles.

Day 10: God of Stone’s birthday and also the birthday of Earth Mother celebrated with sweet pastries.

Day 11: A day for fathers to treat their sons-in-law

Day 12, 13 14: These are quieter days, marking a respite from feasting on rich food, but preparing for the first full moon of the year which marks the Lantern festival.

15th day: Lantern festival or the “first night of the full moon” sees lanterns being put and lit everywhere. People often post riddles on the lanterns. Dumplings, with sweet fillings, resembling the shape of the full moon are traditionally eaten on this day. There is usually another family dinner that marks the close of the two-week celebrations, and the official start of the New Year.

According to the Chinese calendar this is the Year of the Snake and much is being written about it. May the spirit of celebrations that mark this day, continue to brighten every day of the year ahead.

–Mamata

Updating Anthems

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

In this week of Republic Day, the tune of our national anthem and other patriotic songs are all around us. Without them, the mood cannot be built. Singing the national anthem together with neighbours, community, colleagues, fellow-students—there is nothing more symbolic of our oneness.

Anthems in general are rallying cries, rousing or uplifting songs identified with a country, section, cause etc. A national anthem is a solemn patriotic song officially adopted by a country as an expression of national identity.

These songs are our identity. But just as in so much else, should they change as contexts and realities change?

Well, five countries have taken the bold step of changing their anthems in recent years.

Australia: On Jan 1, 2021, Australia’s national anthem, “Advance Australia Fair,” underwent a significant change. The phrase “For we are young and free” in the second line was changed to “For we are one and free.”  This is an effort to respect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, recognizing that Australia’s history precedes European settlers tens of thousands of years. It is a symbol of Australia’s commitment to unity and reconciliation with Indigenous population.

Austria: Austria’s national anthem is “Land der Berge, Land am Strome” (Land of Mountains, Land by the River). The language was reviewed and modified to promote gender inclusivity in 2021 . The original lyrics which referred to “great sons,” was changed to “great daughters and sons.”

Canada: In 2018, Canada made a significant and widely-welcomed change to its national anthem “O Canada” in 2018. The line “in all thy sons command” was changed to “in all of us command.” was changed to “in all of us command”, again an effort for gender-inclusivity.  

South Africa: Like the nation itself, South Africa’s national anthem is unique. It combines lines from several different languages and songs, including the hymn “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” and the former anthem “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika.” In recent times, small changes have been made to the anthem with the purpose to ensure proper pronunciation and inclusion of all languages and honour the linguistic heritage of all its people.

New Zealand: In 1977, the Government announced that New Zealand would have two national anthems — the traditional anthem ‘God Save The Queen’ and the poem ‘God Defend New Zealand’. Since then, both the anthems have had equal status. Following the accession of King Charles III to the throne in 2022, the words of the first anthem changed to ‘God Save the King’.

The latest change in a national anthem is not for a change of words but of the tune. In January 2025, Saudi Arabia has asked Hans Zimmer (Oscar-winning composer of the Lion King, Dune etc.) to create a new version of its national anthem, Aash Al Malik (Long live the King)!

Our anthem Jana Gana Mana (‘[Ruler of] the minds of the people’) was  composed as “Bharato Bhagya Bidhata” in Bengali by  Rabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911. The first stanza of the song  was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the National Anthem on 24 January 1950, the same day as the Indian Constitution was signed. (Mamata has dwelt on this at length in post last week).

There have been a few proposals to change/add/delete words and phrases. For instance, to add the name ‘Kamrup’ to make the anthem inclusive of the Northeast; or remove the name ‘Sind’ because it is no longer in India. The word “Adhinayak” has also been controversial,  because it was used to praise King George V in 1911. In 2019, there was a bill moved in the Rajya Sabha, to modify the third line to ‘Punjab Sindh Uttarpurv Gujarat Maratha’, to bring in the Northeast. However,  the Supreme Court has struck down all of these.

While tampering with sacred traditions is always fraught, there does seem to be sense in these suggestions, and maybe we need a debate on this. After all, the essence of democracy is debate, and this seems a worthwhile one!

Happy Republic Day!

–Meena

Thanks: http://www.vanguardngr.com

Hymn to the Republic

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

This week the Indian nation will stand proudly as we salute our national flag and celebrate the 76th Republic Day, and the air reverberates with the chorus of Jana Gana Mana. This is the refrain of the national anthem that unites every citizen of the country.

English translation of the stanzas in Tagore’s own handwriting. Source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/

From the time children are in school, the anthem, played and sung on important national days, becomes deeply engrained, often learned by sheer repetition, without really going into what the words mean, and how they came to be conferred the status of a national anthem.

While Jana Gana Mana was declared as the National Anthem of free India on 24 January 1950, its history goes way back. The hymn was originally composed in Bengali, by Rabindranath Tagore, India’s first Nobel laureate, on 11 December 1911. Titled Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata, it consisted of five stanzas. It was first published in a journal called Tatwabodhini Patrika in 1912 under the title Bharat Bidhata. However, it was first sung on Day 2 of the annual session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911, by Saraladevi Chowdhrani along with a group of school students.

The fact that the date of the composition of the hymn coincided with the eve of the coronation of King George V led to rumours that the song was written to honour the British king. This was mainly due to misreporting in the press that confused this song with another song in Hindi Badshah Hamara, which was sung on the same occasion and, in fact, was in praise of the monarch. 

Years later, Tagore himself clarified in a letter dated 10 November 1937, that this was never the case; the song was a tribute to the greatness of India. In his own words (originally in Bengali): A certain high official in His Majesty’s service, who was also my friend, had requested that I write a song of felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart.

In response to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagyo Bidhata [ed. God of Destiny] of India who has from age after age held steadfast the reins of India’s chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George.

For the next few years the song continued to be sung on different occasions, but with many regional variations. It still did not have a uniform tune. In February 1919, while on a tour of South India, Tagore took a break to rest at the Theosophical College in Madanapalle, in Andhra Pradesh. Started by Dr Annie Besant, the college was headed by educationist and poet James Cousins. James and his wife, Margaret Cousins who was Vice Principal, used to have informal singing sessions with the college community, every Wednesday night. Tagore also joined the session and asked if he could sing one of his poems in Bengali. This was the first time Tagore himself sang his poem. Margaret Cousins was enthralled, especially with the refrain, Jaya hai, Jaya hai, Jaya hai, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya hai. She requested Tagore for an English translation, which Tagore did, on the same day, 2 February 1919, while still at the college. He titled it The Morning Song of India. The translated version of the first stanza read: “Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India’s destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of the Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha, of the Dravida, Orissa and Bengal. It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Ocean. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, thou dispenser of India’s destiny. Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.’

Margaret Cousins was very taken by the words. Herself a trained musician, she set down the musical notations, and rendered the song with musical instruments, sung by the students. Tagore appreciated the melody, and the efforts in composing it. The college adopted the English version as their prayer song which is sung even today. And from then on, the musical form of the Bengali song also became the tune that we are familiar with today.

While India was still in the struggle for Independence from British rule, Netaji Subhashchandra Bose, who was in Germany, at the founding meeting of the German-Indian Society selected Jana Gana Mana to be played as the national anthem of independent India. It was performed (not sung) by the Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra on 11 September 1942.

On the midnight of August 14, 1947, India the Indian Constituent Assembly assembled for the first time as a sovereign body. The session ended with a performance of Jana Gana Mana. The members of the Indian Delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations held at New York in 1947 gave a recording of Jana Gana Mana as the country’s national anthem. The song was played by the house orchestra in front of a gathering consisting of representatives from all over the world.

The first stanza of Jana Gana Mana was officially adopted as India’s National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly of India on January 24, 1950. The formal rendition of the anthem takes approximately 52 seconds to complete.

There is a protocol to be followed in the performance of the anthem as laid down by the Government of India which includes instructions on the correct versions of the anthem; the occasions on which it can be sung or played; the need for paying respect to the anthem by observing proper decorum on such occasion. It is mandated by the Supreme Court of India that all must stand up with properrespect when the National Anthem is being rendered. 

This Republic Day, as we stand and honour the anthem, let us also bow in respect to the rich history that has enabled us to stand as proud citizens of a proud nation today.

–Mamata

Welcoming the New Year

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

Happy New Year! This is the day when many will be recovering from the feasting and celebrating that saw out the old year and ushered in the new. In some parts of the globe it may still be the time that family and friends gather for a New Year dinner. This is also the week when many New Year resolutions are made! Many of these, nowadays, relate to the intentions of going on a diet which eschews certain foods, or one that limits to certain foods. Instead, why not begin the year with some mouth-watering traditions of feasting rather than fasting!

While the entire world collectively celebrates the transition from the old to the new, different cultures and different countries have their own traditions that mark this passage. Food is an important component of these celebrations. Here is look at this interesting smorgasbord of dishes that define the festivities.

In Spain the old year is ushered out with a tradition called Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte or The Twelve Grapes of Luck. As the clock strikes at midnight people mark each chime by eating a single grape. The twelve grapes thus eaten symbolize good luck for each month of the coming year. The tradition dates back to 1909 when there was a surplus harvest of grapes in Spain and people were encouraged to eat extra grapes for luck. The tradition continues to this day; people gather in public squares with bunches of grapes and eat twelve at midnight for good luck through the year.    

Mexico also has a similar twelve grapes tradition where a grape is eaten at each stroke of midnight with a wish for the coming twelve months. New Year’s Day lunch is a family celebration with traditional tamales (corn dough filled with meat, cheese or beans) wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed. The tamales are prepared at family tamaladas (tamale making parties) where the members get together to wrap the tamales. The sweet touch is added by Rosca de Reyes, a ring-shaped bread garnished with candied fruits.

In Japan, New Year’s eve known as Oshogatsu is marked by eating a dish called Toshikoshi Soba, made of buckwheat noodles. These year-end noodles are extra-long, and it is believed that slurping these down without breaking or chewing them will bring longevity to the consumer. Families come together to slurp on the long noodles; it is a ritual that also symbolizes the act of letting go of the hardships of the year gone by, and a positive approach to welcome new opportunities. A New Year’s Day tradition is the exchange of beautiful bento boxes with an assortment of delicacies, each with its special meaning, called Osechi-Ryori, as wishes for health and prosperity in the year ahead.

In South Korea families come together for a meal that includes a soup made with thinly sliced rice cakes. The soup called Tteokguk is believed to symbolize growing a year older, as well as grant good fortune.

Italians feast on lentils and Cotechino (spiced pork sausage) both of which are symbolic. In the past Romans would give a leather bag of legumes to their loved ones with the wish that each lentil would translate to a gold coin in the New Year. Even today, the lentils symbolize wealth and prosperity, and the sausage represents the richness of life. The combination of flavours, and the symbolism makes this a special family meal that ushers in the New Year.

In Greece a special cake called Vasipolita is baked with a coin hidden inside. The cake is shared by family and friends and the one whose slice contains the coin is believed to be lucky, and considered blessed throughout the year. Onions are also a part of the traditional culinary tradition. Greeks believe that the onion’s many layers represent shedding the old to reveal the fresh start of a new year. They also found that even when onions were left alone that they would sprout, which they believed was a sign of rebirth, growth and fertility. Thus the tradition of hanging a bag of onions on the front door.

A similar tradition in Armenia is to bake a large, sweet flat loaf known as tarehats, darin or gata in which is put a single coin or walnut which is baked in the bread. The family member who finds this in their slice is expected to have the best luck that year.

Denmark, Germany and Austria have a tradition of exchanging edible marzipan pigs (made of almond paste and sugar) as tokens of good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Each pig is artfully crafted and it is believed that the more detailed the crafting, the greater the fortune it brings. Once again symbolizing a positive exchange of wishes and goodwill.

In the Netherlands people enjoy oliebollen. Literally meaning ‘oil balls’ these are meant to line the stomach with oil as a shield against the sword attack of a mythical evil goddess. In fact, these are a kind of delicious doughnuts.

In Poland, a popular New Year’s tradition is eating pierogi, a type of dumpling filled with a variety of ingredients like meat, cabbage, mushrooms, or even sweet fillings like fruit. The dish reflects Poland’s rich agricultural traditions and the importance of a good harvest for a successful year. Pierogi are seen as a symbol of good luck, health, and prosperity. In some families, a coin is hidden inside one of the dumplings, and the person who finds it is thought to have a particularly lucky year.

A tradition in Turkey is for people to smash pomegranates in the doorways of their homes. It is believed that that number of seeds that fly out of the fruit indicate how much good fortune will come in the year ahead.

Greece has a similar tradition invoking pomegranates which are believed to be a sign of luck, prosperity and fertility. During the Xmas week households hang pomegranates from their door. On New Year’s Eve all the lights are shut and everyone leaves the house. One member is sent to re-enter the house putting the right foot in first, so that the family gets good fortune all year. This custom is called Podariko which roughly translates to ‘good foot’. Then a second family member takes the pomegranate in their right hand and smashes it against the front door; the greater the number of seeds that spill out, the greater the luck that the New Year will bring.

The Scots have a similar Foot First custom. The first person to enter a household after midnight (the First Footer) brings gifts including traditional ones like shortbread, a rich fruitcake, and whiskey that symbolize abundance and good fortune. The First Footing tradition as it is called blends hospitality with culinary tradition.

In Ireland, bread is an important new year’s food. Buttered bread symbolizes abundance and the absence of hunger. New Year’s Day is known as the Day of Buttered Bread. Another tradition is to wait till the bread from the Xmas week gets stale and hard and the bang it on the walls of the house on New Year’s Day to get rid of bad luck and evil spirits. Perhaps the most significant tradition is setting an additional plate at the dinner table for any loved ones lost in the previous year. 

All these traditions are marked by a sense of common sharing, a feeling of togetherness, and thanksgiving. The dishes, with the combination of sweet and savoury, are a reminder that life has its share of flavours, and that these are best enjoyed with the love and support of family and friends. May the year ahead give us all many opportunities for this.

Wishing for a year of Hope, Peace and Joy.

–Mamata

Doomsday Book

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

No, not a book with dire predictions for 2025 aka Nostradamus, Baba Yaga etc.

The Domesday (or Doomsday) book is the 1200+ year survey record! Covering most of England and parts of Wales, it was commissioned by William the Conqueror. The survey started on Christmas of 1085 (exactly 939 years ago!) and was completed in1086. It is the oldest government record held in The National Archives of the UK.

It is an amazing piece of work, in that it surveyed almost every property in England and Wales. Using a fixed format, the survey tried to elicit who owned which property, who lived there, the livestock, how much the land was worth etc. It traced the history of the property—who had owned it before the time of William the Conqueror and who owned it now.

The whole purpose was to ensure that the King had a record of how much land was owned by whom, and therefore how much tax could be charged! It provides definitive proof of land rights and tax obligations, making it a crucial legal document even today. It covered over 13,000 places. Not only was it a foundational document for land rights, it also the socio-economic landscape of 11th-century England.

But why on earth was it called the Doomsday Book? This evolved from its association with the Last Judgment (or Doomsday). The book was the last word–once recorded, its contents could not be contested! It was the source of evidence of land titles, and hence served as a legal reference for resolving disputes over land ownership. It was the final arbiter!

Data collection for the Book was monumental for its time. Royal Commissioners travelled across the kingdom, collecting information from local juries composed of nobility and citizens convened for the purpose. These people swore in court to give correct and accurate information to the Commissioners.  They answered several questions including:

  • Who owned the land.
    • How much land there was.
    • The value of the land.
    • The number of tenants and their obligations.
    • Livestock counts.
    • How many plough teams.
    • How much wood, meadow and pasture.
    • How many mills and fisheries.

The responses gathered by the juries were meticulously recorded in Latin by one set of scribes, and checked by a second set. The data was probably cross-verified with other records and follow-up inquiries.

The information was recorded in two books—The Great Domesday, and the Little Domesday (covering different geographies). Each is arranged by county, and within each county, by landholder. Each landholder is given a number, which is written in red in roman numerals as the heading of their entry. There is a table of contents at the beginning of each county, which lists the landholders with their numbers.

The Doomsday Book is not a census of the population, but has influenced surveys and censuses down history. The Indian census is considered a model for gathering reliable data across a large country (not of course land ownership—that is a problem yet to be cracked).  The Doomsday Book has probably also influenced our census indirectly.  Hopefully, we will have our long-delayed census in the coming year—aided by smart phones, tabs and the like. Let us hope the information collected is as authentic as the Doomsday Book managed.

In 1789 Benjamin Franklin said, ” In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” The Doomsday Book was indeed proof of that!

So here is to a Happy 2025, even though we will still have to pay our taxes!

–Meena

nationalarchives.gov.uk

Pic: Historic UK

Christmas Island: Galapagos of the Indian Ocean

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

This week the focus revolves around the numerous facets of Christmas–from festive decorations, to feasts and family gatherings. An appropriate week to share something that does not really share much in common with these facets except for its name. That is Christmas Island; so named because it was first discovered on Christmas day.

The island however may have been there millennia before its formal discovery and christening. A small speck in the Indian Ocean, Christmas Island is the peak of a steep basalt volcanic seamount that rose 5000 metres from the ocean floor about 60 million years ago. Located in the Indian Ocean 2600 km northwest of Perth in Australia and 350 km off Indonesia, this island is today a part of Australian territory. However it has a chequered history of human settlement.

For centuries the small island’s isolated location and its rugged coasts provided a natural barrier to human intrusion. Its sighting was recorded in the charts of British and Dutch navigators in the early seventeenth century. But it was named by Captain William Mynors of the Royal Mary a vessel of the East India Ship Company when his ship approached the island on 25 December 1643; but he was unable to land on the island. The first recorded landing on the island is believed to be by the English ship Cygnet under Captain Swan in 1688.

It was in the 19th century that several explorers visited Christmas Island. Some of these were naturalists who collected plant and animal species from the island which was rich in biodiversity. It was in 1887 during one of these collecting expeditions that the crew of a ship called HMS Egeria also discovered that the island had rich resources of phosphate which was a valuable fertilizer. This led the British to annex the island in 1888. Human settlement of Christmas Island began in 1888, when George Clunies-Ross, the owner of the Cocos Islands, sent his brother Andrew and a small party of Cocos Malay workers to form a settlement at Flying Fish Cove. He did this to pre-empt any other claim to the island’s phosphate resources.

The British leased the island to John Murray, a naturalist who had first predicted the presence of phosphates and George Clunies-Ross who initiated the first settlement on the island. Together the two set up the Christmas Island Phosphate Company which started mining and exporting phosphate from the island from 1900. The operation needed a large labour force for which they brought in Chinese, Malays and Sikhs as indentured migrant labourers. These were the early settlers who, over time, grew into a multicultural community. However at that time these workers lived in appalling conditions, and in the early years, hundreds of them died from beri-beri caused by malnutrition. But conditions gradually improved and the island’s phosphate industry continued to flourish in the period till the First World War, with Japan as the biggest customer.

During the Second World War, the island was targeted by the Japanese who wanted to capture the phosphate deposits. In 1942 Japanese troops took over the island and the phosphate mining provided rich fertilizer for the Japanese Empire. The island was an arena for several acts of war between the Allied and the Japanese forces until 1945 when Japan surrendered. The island was re-occupied by the British in October 1945.

The Australian and New Zealand governments purchased the Christmas Island Phosphate Company in 1949, and administrative responsibility for the island shifted from the UK to the British colony of Singapore. When Britain was giving up many of its colonies after World War II Australia expressed an interest in acquiring Christmas Island. In 1958, sovereignty of the island was transferred to Australia. As part of the transfer, Australia paid Singapore £2,800,000 as compensation for lost phosphate revenue. Christmas Island became an Australian Territory on 1 October 1958. This day is celebrated on the island as Territory Day.

The centuries of mining and exploitation for phosphate had left huge scars on this island which with its unique geology supported rare species of endemic plants and animals not found anywhere else. Many of the flora and fauna unique to this ecosystem had reached the point of being endangered. In the 1970s it was realized that this exploitation could have a serious impact on the Abbot’s booby a bird that nests only on Christmas Island. In 1974 a committee recommended that conservation of such endangered species was critical. This resulted, in 1980, in the creation of a national park on the south-western part of the island. This was further expanded in 1986 and 1989 to create the Christmas Island National Park. Today the park extends over 64% of the island’s land area as well as extending 50 metres offshore. The area protects rainforests, wetlands, freshwater mangroves, sea cliffs and coral reefs, each harbouring a rich diversity of life.

Red crab migration on Christmas Island

Perhaps the most significant of this is the great variety of crabs that have earned it the sobriquet as the kingdom of crabs. Among these crustaceans is the enormous robber crab, and the red crabs whose annual migration from the rainforest to the ocean in an unforgettable spectacle. Every year, millions of red crabs move from Christmas Island’s interior rainforests to the ocean to breed and lay eggs. A single female can lay up to 100,000 eggs. Red crabs must keep their bodies moist, so they wait for the rainy season to provide conditions that are ideal for the difficult journey. During migration, red crabs climb over and around obstacles in their way, following the same migration paths every year. 

The island’s 80 km coastline is an almost continuous sea cliff rising up to 20 metres in height. In a few places the cliff descends to shallow bays with sand and coral shingle beaches. The island is surrounded by a narrow circling reef teeming with swarms of tropical fish species. Dolphin, whale sharks, turtles and manta rays are easy to spot.  Today Christmas Island has become a naturalist’s paradise. Often described as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, Christmas Island has replaced phosphate mining with ecotourism. A heartening case of exploitation transformed into caring conservation.

–Mamata

Merry Christmas with Amigurumi

~ millennialmatriarchs ~ Leave a comment

‘Tis the season of good cheer and brotherhood.

Of celebrations and togetherness.

Of Christmas trees and ornaments.

And this last is what we are talking about today.

Photocredit: amigurumi.com

The tradition of decorating trees with ornaments is thought to have originated in Germany in the 1800s.  An enterprising gentleman by the name Hans Greiner began making glass ornaments called baubles for hanging on trees. These were the first mass-produced Christmas ornaments and were a huge commercial success.  Woolworths was the first company to import these types of decorations into the United States in 1890, from where  the custom spread to other parts of the world.

Common ornaments include globe ornaments, angels, egg ornaments, figurines, snowflakes, icicles and stars. They are made from a variety of materials, including glass, plastic, porcelain, metal, wood, and expanded polystyrene

A trend that has been popular in recent years is amigurumi Xmas ornaments. If like me, you haven’t a clue what this is, amigurumi is the art of creating crocheted or knitted stuffed creatures and objects, which has its roots in Japanese culture.

While the exact origins are not clear, it is believed to have developed from multiple influences over time. Japan has a long history of hand-made dolls and toys, such as “temari” (decorative balls made from thread) and “daruma” dolls. Amigurumi probably grew from these traditions. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), European knitting and crochet techniques were introduced to Japan and became popular. Japanese crafters combined these techniques with their traditional doll-making skills to create amigurumi,which comes from the Japanese words “ami” meaning crocheted or knitted, and “nuigurumi” meaning stuffed doll.  

Amigurumi grew more popular in Japan in the post-World War II era. As the country’s economy grew stronger, it led to increased income and leisure time, and a resurgence in crafting hobbies. It was during this time amigurumi gained recognition as a distinct art form.

A major impetus to the growth of this craft was the rise of “kawaii” culture. This Japanese aesthetic emphasizes cuteness and adorableness—think Hello Kitty.  Amigurumi lends itself to the creation of cute, whimsical, and anthropomorphic designs and hence appealed to the kawaii aesthetic.

Internet and social media brought amigurumi international attention and today, amigurumi enjoys a global following including in its use as Xmas ornaments. Amigurumi angles, cherubs, stars, elves and reindeers decorate trees across the world. Many people take pride in crocheting or knitting figures either on their own or with the help of popular amigurumi kits which include patterns, instructions, wools and needles.

A popular Xmas tree ornaments also rendered in crochet, which we are not very familiar with in India, is the Christmas Pickle. This is an American tradition. A decoration in the shape of a pickle is hidden on a Christmas tree, with the finder receiving an extra gift. It is also thought that he or she will enjoy good fortune for the next year. (While for us Indians, a pickle brings thoughts of mangoes and limes, in the West, it is often a cucumber, and that is what Christmas Pickle ornaments represent).  

The origin of the Pickle ornament is not known. Americans think it came from Germany, but Germans have no clue about this tradition. But here is one story: During the American Civil War, Bavarian-born Private John C. Lower had enlisted in the Pennsylvania Infantry. He was captured in 1864 and taken to the prison camp. On Christmas Eve he begged a guard for a pickle because he was starving. The guard provided the pickle, which Lower later credited for saving his life. After returning to his family in Bavaria, he began a tradition of hiding a pickle on their Christmas tree each year.

Even if it is not true, it is surely a story that captures the Christmas spirit!

Christmas wishes, Peace and Goodwill among all!

–Meena