Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of the new year when the Sun transitions into longer days and moves into the zodiac sign Capricorn. The festival is celebrated to pay homage to the harvest gods for the reward of all the hard work of the previous seasons.
Vishalakshi Padmanabhan of the Buffalo Back Collective says, “Indian festivals are celebrated according to both the lunar and solar cycles, but Sankranti is the only festival celebrated across India with different names according to the solar cycle of the Hindu calendar.” Straight Farmer Buffalo Backs Put Together a Season’s Classic Without the Middlemen alu-bella With ingredients that are “entirely organic, slow-roasted and carefully blended in small batches.”
colourful Sakre-achhu (molded sugar toffee) usually accompanied by alu-bella But Buffalo Backs made jaggery toffee just to make it healthier. And in keeping with the solstice proverb – Elu Bela Tindu Ole Matadi (Eat Well, Speak Well) Sends sweet notes with every order on mass request.
Belikirana Creations | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Our festival dishes were well thought out to deal with seasonal changes,” says dietician Sudha Hegde, who has presented a research paper on ‘Nutrition in Festival Recipes’ at National Health Seminars. “The health benefits and the stories behind each item make Sankranti celebrations timeless. Sesame kept the body warm, jaggery aided digestion, coconut helped regulate the rate of metabolism, while peanuts and roasted chickpeas brought n protein – everything in between alu-bella Works to increase the body’s immunity.
For Nandini Gowda, an engineering student from Mandya who belongs to a family of farmers, the hustle and bustle of Sankranti is very real with the preparation for Sankranti. alu-bella And Sakre-achhu (carving birds and fruits with sugar), cutting sugarcane into small pieces and breaking fresh coconut. She recalls how friends and family would gather around bonfires, singing folk songs, ‘suggi kala higgy banditu’ and sharing stories, snacking on boiled chickpeas in bowls of leaves, and of course, alu-bella,
Belikirana Creations | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In general, alu-bella It consists of sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, jaggery and small pieces of coconut, fried gram, sugar balls and Jerige Sweets (candied cumin). so what makes alu-bella So popular at Srinivasa Spices or Subbamma Angadi in Gandhi Bazaar? “We make it affordable as it is prepared by needy women employed by us; We charge ₹260 per kg. This year we started online orders and the response has been great,” says Raghavendra Karthik, son of KV Ananth Rao and grandson of Subbamma, the reason behind Subbamma Angadi.
necessity, the mother of invention
Over the years, enterprising women have taken a sustainable approach to procurement, preparation and packaging alu-bella And Good luck. Add to this online ordering via phone and social media, and the job is done in a more eco-friendly way.
Girinagar’s MS Aruna Rao started Bellikirana Creations to make eco-friendly pouches, boxes and bags for Sankranti seven years ago when she found herself frustrated with the endless use of plastic to distribute Sankranti gifts. “The number of boxes and covers each season was in the millions! My focus was on making everyone’s way to Sankranti plastic free! Talking about her decision to go into electrical engineering and take up a craft-based business, Aruna says. “In 2016, I started with cotton pouches made by talented women; Today as awareness grows, I have added baskets, boxes and trays made from korai grass and palm leaves. These are an environmentally safe, easy to use long lasting material that can be recycled. I source them from coastal and riverine villages in Tamil Nadu and Kerala where I help empower women through employment,” says Aruna.
“It is a package with many options that can be customised,” she says, adding that her bags come with Kannada and English couplets that are integral to the spirit of Sankranti.
Call 89718 00223 to order.
dream come true
Born in Magala village in Bellary district, although Lalitha Sastri was brought up in a household of educationists and playwrights, she found it difficult to balance domestic responsibilities with her school, a five-mile walk, despite excelling in sports and studies. After passing out from the eighth grade, Lalitha started helping her grandmother Yedalli Sabavva cook festive meals at the nearby Narasimha Temple. preparing soon Sajji Roti (Bajra), Jolada Roti (Jowar), Badnekai Yengai, Besan Ke Laddoo, Antinunde, Sarina Pudi, Huli Pudi And the other dishes for hundreds didn’t seem that different from what she was cooking for her family.
Lalita Shastri | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
While Lalita’s passion for cooking and the resulting appreciation from family and friends hasn’t waned over the past four decades, she wanted to reach more. “I started making Bananti Lehya, Kobri-Khara And antinunde for women’s postpartum health. Today, my daughters Radhika and Kavya Shastri, as well as son Pramod Shastri and daughter-in-law Anu are taking my cooking to the next level. It has been helping me fulfill my dream since I was a small village girl,” Lalita says over the phone.
59-year-old Lalitha’s yearning for an identity of her own has helped her expand her repertoire to cater to every festival in the past year. “This year’s Sankranti is extra special as we are officially flagging off ‘Lolly’s Foodz – Temple of Flavors’. alu-bela, sake-good And shenga (Groundnut) holige Made with my own recipes that go back to my teens,” she says.
Eco Friendly Packaging By Lalitha Foodz | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
His daughter Kavya, a graphic designer, says online orders are packed in containers of waste sugarcane bagasse, while smaller quantities come in sturdy paper cups. alu-bella Cost ₹ 408 per kg. Orders can be placed on 89047 72324.