From the Desk of your PCA Team .....
Welcome back to all from a hopeful restful and wonderful break. I heard that many went away towards Kerela side and got to see the lush green hills of the Western Ghats of India. Others were closer to home and enjoyed just exploring Chennai. However you had your week off, hope it was a good one. As you may recollect, October is India month. Last week, was Ghandhi Jayanti on October 2nd, which is a national holiday in India. Many families utilize the time off to spend quality family time either in town or out of town.
This week, started with a bang. We started with our PCA Meeting, which was short, but sweet. We are in the midst of planning for the Diwali Mela which finishes off the month. If you can be of service, please do give us a shout. We are looking for volunteers for assistance for the Mela. This year, it is a new concept and execution. It will be a mela, like a carnival we see in the west. It will take place on our field. There will be stalls for food, cotton candy, a bouncy house, game booths, and other things to make this evening a fun event for all to have. Do invite your friends to mark their calendars to join us in this event.
German Cooking
Thank you to Katrina and Anja for working with the Chefs at the Westin to create a
wonderful cooking class this friday. Unfortunately Anja was not able to make it today, as she was under the weather. We hope she gets better very quickly. Speedy recovery dear. We learned to cook the following food: Reiberdatschi (Potato pancakes) with herb
scented cream cheese, Bavarian Jaegerschnitzel, with Spaetzle and Seasonal Greens and Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel). What fun! We began the demo with making the Reiberdatschi. The most important point we learned was that having the potatoes cook in a thickness that will fully cook the raw potatoes and to crispen them just right to give the crunchiness that bring the flavor out. After this we make the Jaegerschnitzel.
This was not as difficult that I imagined. The hardest part was to slice the meat so as to get the salt and pepper to season it well and not burn. We found that doing the same recipes with different meats, and
even vegetarian alternatives would work for the non-meat eaters. This is the best part of these demos, as we can alternate veg and non-veg cooking and still enjoy the German meals. After this we made the Spaetzle. This was EASY!!! I was shocked! Apfelstrudel was the last on the menu items to be made. The process was easy to make as well as tasty. Upon completion of the cooking demonstration, we went into EATING of the items we had made. What fun! The Westin staff has always been wonderful in making our cooking demos a hit. We got to taste and sample a few more items that are part of the German palate. What fun! Needless to say, the Apfelstrudel was finished! If you would like to see more pictures of the demo, click on this sentence.
wonderful cooking class this friday. Unfortunately Anja was not able to make it today, as she was under the weather. We hope she gets better very quickly. Speedy recovery dear. We learned to cook the following food: Reiberdatschi (Potato pancakes) with herb
scented cream cheese, Bavarian Jaegerschnitzel, with Spaetzle and Seasonal Greens and Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel). What fun! We began the demo with making the Reiberdatschi. The most important point we learned was that having the potatoes cook in a thickness that will fully cook the raw potatoes and to crispen them just right to give the crunchiness that bring the flavor out. After this we make the Jaegerschnitzel.
This was not as difficult that I imagined. The hardest part was to slice the meat so as to get the salt and pepper to season it well and not burn. We found that doing the same recipes with different meats, and 
even vegetarian alternatives would work for the non-meat eaters. This is the best part of these demos, as we can alternate veg and non-veg cooking and still enjoy the German meals. After this we made the Spaetzle. This was EASY!!! I was shocked! Apfelstrudel was the last on the menu items to be made. The process was easy to make as well as tasty. Upon completion of the cooking demonstration, we went into EATING of the items we had made. What fun! The Westin staff has always been wonderful in making our cooking demos a hit. We got to taste and sample a few more items that are part of the German palate. What fun! Needless to say, the Apfelstrudel was finished! If you would like to see more pictures of the demo, click on this sentence. Apart from learning German cooking, the Chefs at the Westin shared with us the most valuable information - sources to buy with their contact! Here is the list:
Imported Pork
1) Soeul Store - Balaji - 9962725656
1) Soeul Store - Balaji - 9962725656
2) Sjmrutha Enterprises - Lakshmi - 9940155043
3) Fortune Gourmet - Shivaraman - 98401864204) Tan Business Ventures - Suresh - 9841184329
5) Gateway Fine Foods - Mary - 9884010879
6) Empire Industries - Suresh - 9884014879 or Senthil - 9884014878
Local Pork
1) Rehaboth Meat - Daniel - 9042789248
2) V.Dalanichamy - Palanchamy - 9444905316
3) Farm Suzzanne - Senthil - 8122682099
4) Gateway Fine Foods - Mary - 9619400482
5) N.E. Fresh and Frozen - Ezhil - 9382166570/8939998821
If you have any issues, don't hesitate to get a hold of us at the PCA, as we may have mis-typed a character during transposing, so just in case, don't hesitate to contact us.
The next cooking demo will be on October 24th. A Saturday. Do plan to join us with the kids.
Next week will being the Navaratri festivals in India. Read about it below. As we sign off this week, we look forward to the PCA Tour for next week. It was a request by one of our parents to go hunting for Antiques and Art items. Thus we will be going towards Mount Road for this. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Signing off for this week......
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Signing off for this week......
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Cultural Ongoings......
Navaratri
13 October 2015 to 12 October 2015
"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights." This festival is observed twice a year, once in the beginning of summer and again at the onset of winter. Navaratri begins next week. There will be much activity within Chennai. Different regions of India Celebrate Navaratri in different manners. As the definition states, there are nine days which celebrates certain aspects of the goddess "Durga." The tenth day, is known as Dusshera or Vijayadashmi. This is the beginning of the month right after Shraad, based on the lunar calendar. Many regions of India, look at this at the preclude to Diwali, which is the beginning of the lunar calendar New Year for them. In essence, Navaratri is the conquest of good over evil, shown in different manners in different regions of India.
What's the Significance of Navratri?
During Navaratri, the philosophy is to invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as "Durga," which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti" (energy or power). It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.
Why Nine Nights & Days?
Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.
Dusshera or Vijayadashami
Vijayadashami also known as Dussehra or Dasara or Dashain or Tenth day of Navratri or Durgotsav is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The name Dussehra is derived from Sanskrit Dasha-hara literally means Dashanan ravan (Name of devil & in short Dasha and Hara (defeat)) referring to Lord Rama's victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana.
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| Dusshera festival of burning the demon king Ravana |
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| Vijayadashmi depiction |
The day also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasur. The name Dussehra is also derived from Sanskrit Dasha + Ahaha = Dasharahaha = Dasharaha. Ahaha means day. Example Aharnisha is derived from Ahaha+nisha. Goddess fought with evils for 9 nights and 10 days. The name Vijayadashami is also derived from the Sanskrit words "Vijaya-dashami" literally meaning the victory on the dashami (Dashmi being the tenth lunar day of the Hindu calendar month). Diwali the festival of lights is celebrated twenty days after Dussehra.
Regional Festivals
As India in land mass is vast, so is it's manner of celebrating the same festival. Each state has a somewhat different manner of celebrating Navaratri. Two of these manners: Gujarat celebrates Navarati, with nine days of Garba dancing. The end of the celebration will be done with the burning of the demon Ravan.
Garba Dance
Garba is a Gujarati folk dance celebrated in Navratri, a celebration lasting nine nights. Garba songs typically revolve around the subjects of Lord Krishna or the nine goddesses. Sanedo is an example of a very popular song. Garba styles vary from place to place in Gujarati.
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| Garba |
The traditional costume of the Garba dancer is red, pink, yellow, orange, and brightly colored Chanya choli or ghagra choli; odhini with bandhani (tie-die), abhla (big mirrors) or with thick Gujarati borders. They also wear heavy jewelry, such as 2-3 necklaces, sparkling bangles, waist belts and long oxidized earrings.
The word Garba comes from the Sanskrit word for womb and so implies gestation or pregnancy - life. Traditionally, the dance is performed around a clay lantern with a light inside, called a Garbha Deep. This lantern represents life; the fetus in the womb in particular. The dancers thus honor Durga, the feminine form of divinity.
Garba is performed in a circle as a symbol of the Hindu view of time. The rings of dancers revolve in cycles, as time in Hinduism is cyclical. As the cycle of time revolves, from birth, to life, to death and again to rebirth, the only thing that is constant is the Goddess, that one unmoving symbol in the midst of all of this unending and infinite movement. The dance symbolizes that God, represented in feminine form in this case, is the only thing that remains unchanging in a constantly changing universe (jagat).
The Garbha Deep has another symbolic interpretation. The vessel itself is a symbol of the body, within whom Divinity (in the form of the Goddess) resides. Garba is danced around this symbol to honor the fact that all humans have the Divine energy of Devi within them. Garba is now being appreciated worldwide.
Gollu or Kolu
In Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka, the display of Gollu dolls is done over the course of the nine days. It is most typical in the homes of Brahamins of these states. In the nine days of Navaratri, family and friends are invited to homes to sing bhajans (hyms), adore of Gollu display at their host's home, and partake of prasadam (food offerings to the gods) for that evening.
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| Gollu Display |
Bommai Kolu (Tamil பொம்மை கொலு ), Bombe Habba (Kannada ಬೊಂಬೆ ಹಬ್ಬ ), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu బొమ్మల కొలువు ), Bomma Gullu (Malayalam ബൊമ്മ ഗുല്ലു) is a doll and figurine display festival celebrated during the festival of Navratri in Southern India, it is customary in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, as well as in some Tamil communities within Sri Lanka.
On the first day of Navaratri , Following Ganapathi pooja, a welcoming ritual is performed for Goddesses saraswati, parvati and laxshmi by a vedic ritual called kalasa avahanam which is performed by elderly male or female of the family. Later followed by building a odd numbered Kolu or Padi (usually 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11) are set up using wooden planks. After Kolu has been covered with fabric it is then adorned with various dolls, figurines and toys according to their size with deity's at the top. Kolu or Padi is predominantly displayed with depictions from Puranas, court life, royal procession, ratha yatra, weddings, everyday scenes, toys, miniature kitchen utensils, anything a little girl would have used to play with. Most of the wooden toys displayed come from traditional toy makers in Etikoppaka, Kondapalli, Kinnal and Channapatna. It is a traditional practice to have figurine of wooden Bride and Groom together called 'Marapacchi Bommai' or 'Pattada Gombe', they are usually made of Teak or Sandalwood and decorated with new clothes each year before being displayed on Kolu. In ancient times these dolls were representative of local King and Queen, people prayed for their long life and prosperity of the Kingdom.
In the evening women in neighborhood invite each other to visit their homes to view Kolu displays, they exchange gifts and sweets. Kuthuvilakku lamp is lit, in the middle of a decorated Rangoli, devotional hymns and shlokas are chanted. After performing the puja, the food items that have been prepared are offered to the Goddess and then to the guests.
On the 9th day Saraswati Puja, special pujas are offered to Goddess Saraswati, the divine source of wisdom and enlightenment. Books and musical instruments are placed in the puja and worshipped as a source of knowledge.
The 10th day, Vijayadasami – is the most auspicious day of all. It was the day on which evil was finally destroyed by good. It marks a new and prosperous beginning. New ventures started on this day are believed to flourish and bring prosperity. Kids often start tutoring on this day to have a head start in their education.
In the evening of "Vijayadasami", any one doll from the "Kolu" is symbolically put to sleep and the Kalasa is moved a bit towards North to mark the end of that year's Navaratri Kolu. Prayers are offered to thank God for the successful completion of that year's Kolu and with a hope of a successful one the next year. Then the Kolu is dismantled and packed up for the next year.
Significance
Kolu also has a significant connection with agricultural economy of ancient India. It is said that in order to encourage dredging and de-silting of irrigation canals and riverbeds the Kolu celebration was aimed at providing demand for the clay material from such activities. There are many customs and beliefs in different parts of India that imbue sacred status to clay. Dissolving Ganesha dolls made of wet clay into the water system is one such belief. Another example is the Bengali tradition of using clay that has been tread upon by the most beautiful girl in the area to sculpt the face of the Goddess Durga, the belief being that this would be the best way to approximate the perfect features of the Goddess.
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Upcoming Events
October 14, 2015 - PCA City Tour - Mount Road, Antique Hunting
October 15, 2015 - PCA Introductory Tech Training
October 16, 2015 - R.I.S.E. Event at 4:00 p.m. in FAC (A MUST SEE!!)
October 17, 2015 - Family Dinner - Out on the Town - TBD
October 24, 2015 - Thanksgiving Cooking Demo at Design Hotel, Phoenix Market City
October 31, 2015 - PCA Diwali Mela
October 15, 2015 - PCA Introductory Tech Training
October 16, 2015 - R.I.S.E. Event at 4:00 p.m. in FAC (A MUST SEE!!)
October 17, 2015 - Family Dinner - Out on the Town - TBD
October 24, 2015 - Thanksgiving Cooking Demo at Design Hotel, Phoenix Market City
October 31, 2015 - PCA Diwali Mela
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Open Positions
There are still open positions on the PCA. We are looking for energetic persons whose goal is to enrich the lives of their kids through parent sponsored activities. We have open positions for Vice President on the Executive Team.If you are interested, please do give us an email at pca@aisch.org.
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References
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navratri
2 http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/navaratri.htm
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijayadashami
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garba_(dance)
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bommala_Koluvu
