Divali cleaning is never always about superficial show. It often brings to the forefront those earlier relegated to the back and forgotten, in a world increasingly dedicated , albeit unfairly, to the Fair and Lovely.
My friend Shruti Nargundkar of Melbourne, spied some blackened neglected bananas during her cleaning spree, along with small streams of oil , that had been unable to make it out of big cans. Some sugar, some whole wheat flour , and the finishing touches by khus khus (poppy seeds) , and the Banana ShankarPaLees she made , gave the story a lovely golden ending.
She posted this photo on FB along with the recipe. For those NOT on FB, perhaps the poems below will suffice. First composed in Marathi, the English version just happened a couple of hours later....
This Divali, there is much to learn about minds, attitudes, humility and unity.
फेर आणि लव्हली जगात
इतिहास सांगतो कि काही सावळ्या गोष्टी मागे मागे राहतात. केळा आणि तिच्या सख्या , भरभरून आत्मविश्वास, अत्यंत गोड प्रवृत्ती, पण फक्त वर वरचे बघणार्यांच्या जगात आणि गोरेपणाचे कौतुक असलेल्या जगात जणु त्या कोणीच नाहीत असं त्यांना कधी कधी वाटतं , न्हवे दाखवलं जातं । पण काही वेगळ्या दृष्टीच्या व्यक्ती नशिबात येतात आणि सावळया अंतरंगातले माधुर्य ओळखून, केळाच्या आयुष्याला वेगळीच कलाटणी देतात . उत्साहात बघायला आलेली साखरमाय, लांब मागच्या कोपर्यात आविरत वाट पाहून, शेवटी न रहाउन, थेंबे थेंबे का होईना, पण सोहळा बघायला कौतुकाने आलेले तेल, आणि "अग, असं बघत काय बसलात , नीट भेटाल कि नाही ?" असं ठणकावून सांगणारी कणिका . सर्वांची एकत्र झालेली घट्ट मैत्री, पोळपाटावर केलेला गोल आराम, मग अचानक गरम तेल बघून झालेले मनाचे अनेक तुकडे , "भिऊ नको, मी तुझ्या पाठीशी आहे " म्हणत अंगावर पडणारी खसखस , आणि आपण कोण होतो, आणि आज काय झालो , ह्याचा अचंबा करत , झार्याचा हात धरून , तेलातून बाहेर पडणारी केळीय गतायुष्याची आठवण काढणारी सोनेरी शंकरपाळी …. फेर आणि लव्हली मंडळी , उडलेले तेलाचे डाग पुसत बघत रहातात , आणि ते डाग कसे घालवायचे ह्या काळजीत बुडतात . त्यांना माहित नसतं , कि माणसाचा रंग मनात असतो। काही फेर मंडळी मनातून काळी असतात, आणि कधी कधी सावळ्यान्ची मने शुभ्र असतात . मन मोठं असलं , आणि रंग कसाही असला तरी सगळं सामावून घेता येतं आणि जे बाहेर दिसतं , ते शंकर पाळ्यान्सारख सोनेरीच असतं |
In a world full of Fair-and-Lovelies, the wheatish shades get ruthlessly, mindlessly pushed back. Bananatai and her attached team, so teeming with confidence and the sweetest disposition; constantly being bullied and pushed in a world smitten with Fair Power. Yet sometimes, someone perceptive looks deep into their sweet psyche and decides to change their lives. The Dowager Sugar enthusiastically arriving to give Bananatais a once over, The sneaky oil hidden so long in the back of beyond, bashfully dripping its all as it lands up, and a very practical wholesome wheat flour lady, cracking the whip to get them all to unite. So many in great friendship, enjoying a Polpat-stay tickled by a rolling pin, and reality sinks in as they fall to pieces on sighting the hot bubbling oil. A sprinkle of reassurance from the seeds of poppy, and they resign themselves to the oil, thinking about life changes, only to latch on to a slotted saviour that helps them out all tough, sweet and golden.... Some Fair-and-Lovelies, cribbing endlessly about hot oil discolorations. They know not, that colors are always in the mind. Some Fair types have black minds while so often Fair minds prefer residing within Dark types. You need a generous heart and a giving mind to understand it all, and what others then see is someone really, like the Banana ShankarpaLees , truly Golden |
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