Fittin In With The Turban - Photo courtsey Jolly Dutta

The land of hundred cultures that is India, is being buffeted by cultural changes. The land that gave the world Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, is suddenly having to grapple with the new generation of kids embracing and emulating the “modern” and “sexxy” western mores in the guise of progress. Modern technology of high speed internet and satellite radio has brought the western culture right into the living room, and the impact is being felt by all traditional societies within India. Stories abound, of parents of “call center kids” being worried about what goes on at work during the night hours (most call centers operate 24/7, but many Indian call center kids work the night shift when it is day time in the west). But an even more dramatic, and perhaps more visible event in unfolding in the Sikh community of India.

Today’s NY times has a story about how the sikh kids are abandoning the traditional head-dress that has ideintified the Sikh people in India and the world over.

The dwindling numbers of turban wearers reflects less a loss of spirituality than encroaching Westernization and the accelerating pace of Indian life, Jaswinder Singh said.

While I agree that its hardly the loss of spirituality that is leading to this cultural change, the change is “saddening” neverthless because its another example of the homogenization of the world cultures under the pressures of globalization. Naturally, such a dramatic change should produce some contervailing forces, as has this situation - in the form of a “Turban Pride” movement.

Outside the Army of God offices, there is a turban clinic offering free classes for boys — one of a series of Sikh revival programs. Standing before full-length mirrors, an instructor shows teenage boys in baggy jeans and sports shoes how to twist the cloth into neatly layered folds on one side and smooth the pleats into sharp lines with a hooked silver pin, which is then concealed beneath the hair at the back.

A “Smart Turban 1.0” CD-ROM offers step-by-step instructions to create fashionable looks and guides new turban wearers on how to choose the most flattering style according to face shape.

To promote the turban as a fashion item, Sikh leaders have also started holding Mr. Singh International pageants. Contestants are judged by looks, moral character, personality, knowledge of Sikh history and principles, and turban tying skills. The sixth World Turban Day will be celebrated on April 13 with a march through Amritsar by thousands of turban-wearing Sikhs.

It remains to be seen how successful this movement is in turning around a cultural change that is sweeping the great nation of India.

First Flush in the Withering Trough - Photo courtsey Ashok Trivedi

The garden manager of Boisahabi Estate in Assam, Mr. Ashok Trivedi is a good friend of ours. Periodically Mr. Trivedi will send us some pictures which will set our hearts aflutter. For me, the pictures evoke the typical aroma of oxidizing leaf and remind me of my time in Soureni when I used to visit my grand father. The life there seemed so peaceful and calm compared to the hustle bustle of city life, it was no wonder I would long for the vacation days and for my grand father’s company.

Well, it would be wonderful if we could drink some of your first flush Mr. Trivedi, but in lieu of that, photos will do!! So, thank you Mr. Trivedi. Please send us more pictures of the estate, the people who work there and tell us a bit about your life there.

Rolling machine at Boisahabi Estate - Photo courtsey Ashok Trivedi

Let me tell you, I am a very proud mama. My little Jaya is already demonstrating a talent for art. She has been making a few drawings lately, (under the guidance of both her mom of course) which have caught the fancy of some people. So, we decided that we might as well share them with the rest of the world. For instance, Jaya came up with this beautiful drawing of a boy running away from the girls at school. I found it very funny, and gave it the title of “Run, the women are coming!”. This makes for such a nice t-shirt for International Woman’s Month that we decided to get Cafe Press to make a few t-shirts. So if you are interested, please click the image below and go to Cafe Press to get one for yourself, and help us celebrate International Woman’s Month.

What is tea without a snack. So, today I will share with you a simple recipe which would help your afternoon tea a pleasant one. Todays recipe is called Dhokla.

Ingredients: You can find most of these ingredients in an Indian ethnic food store. If you cannot find them locally, email me, and I will try to help you in sourcing them.

• Two cups of chick pea flour
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds
• Freshly grated coconut - 1/2 cups
• Green chillies - 5 cut lenght wise
• Coriander - one cup chopped
• Eno fruit salt
• Sugar - 4 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Make batter of the chick pea flour to the consistency of pancake batter. Add turmeric powder to it, and salt to taste. Prepare a wok for steaming. When the water starts steaming, add Eno fruitsalt, Sugar, and lemon juice to the batter and mix it well. Immediately, pour the batter into a oiled heat resistant plate, and steam the
batter for 12 minutes.

Once the batter is steamed, remove the plate from the wok and allow it to cool. With a knife, cut the dhoklas into small 1 x 2 inch pieces.

Separately, heat three teaspoons olive oil, and add mustard seeds. Continue to heat till the mustard seeds start popping. Remove the oil from heat, and add chopped chillies. Allow the oil to cool. Once it is cool, spread the oil with mustard seeds and green chillies on to the puffed dhoklas. Spread grated coconut & chopped coriander on the dhoklas. Serve with tea.

If there is an estate with much mystery around its name, its Margarets Hope Estate in Darjeeling. There are as many stories about Margarets Hope tea estate as there are websites. The most popular one is about one Mr. Bagodon, who had two daughters … one of them was named Margaret. Margaret died on her way to India, and her grief striken father named the estate after Margaret’s Hope that she would some day return to the region. Then there is another story that suggests that Margaret was estate owners wife, and he named the estate after her.

Whatever the truth, this much is certain, Margaret’s Hope, which is nestled in the Kurseong Valley close to Longivew Highlands where our uncle Mr. R. S. Tiwari was the reigning tea master and Superintendent of several tea gardens for over 20 years, has produced delicate teas that have fetched some of the highest prices world over. Connoisseurs of Darjeeling tea prize Margarets Hope growers for their ability to turn the leaf into something worth cherishing. Over the years Margarets Hope Estate has built a reputation for producing high quality tea with distinct muscatel aroma.

We have recently added Margaret’s hope to our collection of both Loose tea and
Nylon tea bags.

Well, the interest in Tourism to India continues to grow. Today, WSJ printed an article on Kerala as a potential travel destination. Its a nice article that talks about how the region is coping with the stagnant coconut prices, and converting itself into a tourism haven. Unfortunately, the article is available for subscribers only, so not many will be able to view it. If you get a hard copy of the WSJ, then the article in on P5 of the printed Journal.

For others, there are numerous sources online about Kerala. For starters, there is a Kerala Tourism website, choke full of information about Kerala. There are maps, and tour planners in place to help you, but it will take some getting used to. It would be nice if Kerala Government were to provide a few “pre-planned” trips for newbies to pick.

On the other hand, the government owned Kerala Tourism Development Corporation has a very nice website, with exactly that. For tea lovers, the Nilgiris run through Kerala, and there is a great opportunity to go and see the hillstations and tea plantations at the KTDC Hills Resort.

Recently, a few International Airlines (such as Singapore Airlines) have added direct flights to Cochin International Airport which means that instead of having to fly in through Mumbai or Madras airport and take a long drive to your final destination, you can now fly directly to Cochin and take a short ride any where in the state of Kerala.

With its beautiful long beaches, and gorgeous hilly vistas, Kerala has long been a travel destination for Indians. With the expansion of Cochin International Airport and an increased interest in all things India, may be Americans might finally be persuaded to go to the region we call “Heaven” of India.