Local flavours get global edge
Hyderabad: The culture of a region is largely defined by the uniqueness of its food. As the state heads for bifurcation, there is a re-assertion of identities by going back to the phonetics that define the language and by proudly proclaiming and popularising the regional cuisine.
The efforts are noteworthy, but the hitch lies in the fact that there is a strong invasion of globalisation which has affected every part of the region. This has added a different facet to most cuisines which were earlier predominantly traditional.
The culture of dry foods needs to be preserved
Dry and arid climate in the Telangana region led to a culture of foods that were dry in nature. People used a lot of preservatives like natural salt, ginger and garlic to ensure that the food could be kept for two to three days without losing its nutrient value. Hence the culture of dry fish, dry meat, khakra or dry rotis (made of wheat) came into being.
The tradition of pickles also emerged from here as it was easy to have pickles with roti and dry food items. Pickles made of mutton, egg and chicken became famous as people made the best use of their available resources.
The tradition of making dry pickles still continues in many households of Telangana. It is mostly done in the summer months as the heat allows the meat and masalas to set.
While earlier the masalas were made at home, there is too much of dependency on store-bought masalas these days. However, the pickles of the region are so famous that they travel as far as the US, Australia and the UK.
With the Nizams, rich curries and gravies were introduced to most households. Kalvakuntla Kavitha, daughter of TRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao and founder of Telangana Jagruthi said, “The culture of curries came with the rule of the Nizams.
The use of groundnuts, sesame, almonds, poppy seeds and tomato gravy started during that time and most households began to adapt to the changes.”
It is from the era of the Nizam that the culture of biryani, buttermilk and salan set in. Tangy tamarind gravies became popular and khatta salan was sought after and due to the geography, the people of the region were able to not only savor but also to easily digest such items.
The popularity was such that most homes in the region had tamarind trees. Mutton was cooked with lots of spices, oil and turmeric powder called kodipura. And people’s sweet-tooth was catered to by double ka meetha which is still a big hit in all marriages irrespective of the region.
The other cultures in the Telangana region adapted to this and marriages became an affair where biryani, mirchi ka salan, baghara baingan were staples and this continues till date.
At the same time vegetables like bitter gourd and pulses like jowar and bajra were preferred as they was easy to grow and required less water. The fish available to people was from local tanks and as the Nizam ruled the region, there were restrictions in terms of procuring food items from other regions of India and people managed with whatever was grown within the region.
Heritage activist Sajjad Shahid said that people of the region were sensitive and also respected others’ sentiments due to which beef was never served in community dinners like marriages, festivals, birth or death ceremonies.
The best appreciation by the people of the region was their acceptance and preservation of culture during the month of Muharram. Shahid said, “Irrespective of one’s religion, Muharram was observed in this region and people in every nook and corner participated. They respected each other and it is hoped that despite increasing polarisation and too much of right wing culture, these aspects will not disappear as they are a major part of our history.”
Shahid strongly feels that the openness must not give way to bitterness in the bifurcation process as it will take away old traditions.
The cultures of Telangana and Seema-ndhra have mixed and it has its influence on the eating habits like consuming more rice, dosa, idli and sambhar. At the same time, the influence of Chinese food is tremendous where left over rice is now cooked as fried rice and carried to work.
Given these changes, the global impact in terms of pizzas, burgers, bakery food items and chat have shown that the choice, when it comes to food, is widespread and the people have learnt to experiment with different cuisines.
Fish, rice, gongura — the pride of the region
Celebrations without gongura, rice and fish are considered incomplete in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, the people of which look upon these foods with pride.
The fertile soil and availability of plenty of water made the region ideal for growing good paddy crops and also cultivate a lot of marine foods. The abundance of rice led to the culture of rice and pappu (urad dal) batter which gave way to the idli-dosa culture.
Along with it was the influence of dals which were used for making curries, sambhars and pachadi (chutneys). The availability of red chilies added to the pachadi making it hot and spicy.
Professor V. Haragopal, national fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science and Research at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, said, “The presence of rice in every meal was very important for everyone from the region, otherwise the meal was considered inferior.
Millets were not much in demand as people felt that they were the proud cultivators of rice and must consume the same. Hence along with taste buds, there was also the emotional and psychological attachment to the grain.”
The same goes for gongura which, if not served in a marriage, could lead to clashes between the bride and groom’s family, asserted Prof. Haragopal.
In the Rayalaseema regions, alsandala vada, ulavacharu, peetala kura, brain fry, liver fry and prawn iguru, which can be combined with sajja or jonna rotis and raagi sankati (a very healthy and nutritious food) are popular.
Attirasaalu (Aresalu), baadusha, jaangri, jilebi, pakam undalu (mixture of steam rice flour, groundnuts, jaggery), borugu undalu (a sweet variety made from jowar and jaggery), pala kova, rava laddu are few of the mouth-watering sweets, also known as bakshalu, of this region.
There is a dominance of vegetarian foods in the region, but in the coastal areas of Andhra, commonly known as the Kostandhra, seafood dishes are very popular. There are small tiffin centres everywhere which serve fresh seafood and it’s quite a delight.
Next: Local festivals to get bigger after division
Local festivals to get bigger after division
Coreena suares | DC
Hyderabad: The culture of a region gives its people an identity, which defines not just the intricate framework of relationships and existence, but also contributes significantly in making them different. Every region has special factors that people associate with.
Though the talks of the state’s bifurcation have created some unrest and divide among people, what keeps them united is the Telugu culture. Amid the agitations and protests, one positive element that has emerged out of the chaos is celebration of various root-level festivals that were so far restricted to just one particular district or area.
For example, the Bathukamma Panduga, which had been limited to just a few households, has now gained the reputation of a state festival. Same is the case with the Samakka Saralakka Jat-ara, which has now been declared a state Jatara, giving people more reasons to celebrate and re-live old times like their ancestors did.
With the bifurcation issue at its peak, the various festivals in Andhra Pradesh are being redefined in Telangana and Costal Andhra. Following the division, festivals that have evolved from a specific district or region will now be celebrated with grandeur unlike earlier.
Many religious practices, marriage rituals, festival celebrations and traditions differ between Andhra and Telangana regions. Andhra Brahmins and Telangana Brahmins follow different procedures during many rituals. Telangana has numerous festivals that are different from Andhra.
For example, Atla Tadde is celebrated only in Andhra, while Bathukamma is celebrated only in Telangana. Medaram Jatara, Asia’s largest tribal festival, is celebrated in Telangana. Muslim festivals like Muharram are celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims in Telangana region as Peerla Panduga.
Satti Reddy, a professor with the Potti Sriramulu University, said that Telangana people often prayed to local folk deities like Peddamma, Maisamma, Poleramma and other goddess. These deities are explained as incarnations of Goddess Lakshmi/Kali.
Non-vegetarian food is very common during festivals, marriages and other celebrations in Telangana. However it’s the reverse in Andhra.
The prominent festivals in the T-region are Bonalu, Bathukamma, Peerla Panduga, Vijayadashmi, Sri Rama Navami and Sammakka Saralamma Jatara. Of these, Bonalu and Bathukamma are regional festivals of Telangana.
Bonalu Panduga kick starts the festivals season in Telangana. In fact, it is thanksgiving time. Bonalu is celebrated just before the onset of monsoons and is the first offering festival to the village gods and goddess. Local deities like Pochamma, Maisamma, Potharaju, Beerappa and Katam Raju are honored. Sacrifices like sheep or goats and food and toddy are offered to the local deity and devotees pray for a prosperous year.
Bonam means Bojanaalu or “meal” in Telugu. Women bring cooked rice with milk and sugar and sometimes onions in a brass or earthen pot, adorned with small neem branches and turmeric and kumkum with a lamp on top. Women place the pots on their heads and take it to Goddess’ temple, led by drummers and dancing men with cattle. It is believed that the Goddess comes back to her maternal home during Ashada Maasam.
Dr Vasundara, retired Telugu Reader of Telugu University, said, “Though Bathukamma Panduga is very famous in Telangana, it is not celebrated at par with Bonalu, Dasara or Diwali. However it is catching up owing to the T-movement and in 2010.
The state had declared it as a state festival. Bathukamma is mainly celebrated by Telangana women during Navaratris; it honours goddess Gauri in the name of Bathukamma. In Telugu, Bathukamma means “come alive Mother Goddess’. Bathukamma Panduga is the second largest festival after Dasara and is celebrated during Durga Navaratri.
Some believe that the wife of King Dharmangada of the Chola Dynasty, after many prayers and rituals, gave birth to Princess Lakshmi who survived many accidents. So the king named her Bathukamma which means life. Since then the Bathukamma festival is mostly celebrated by young girls and women in Telangana region. Young girls pray for good husbands while married women pray for health and prosperity of their families.
But many consider this to be a myth. Professor Kancha Ilaiah, a writer, said that Bathukamma is a household festival and is celebrated at the peak of the rainy season when all the crops have grown, flowers have bloomed and the water tanks are full.
Coming to the festivals of the Andhra region. Professor Anantha Lakshmi from Railway College, Tarnaka and author of a book on Andhra culture said that Makar Sankranthi was the biggest festival in Andhra and was celebrated for three days: Bhogi, Sankranthi and Kanuma.
On Sankranthi or Pedda Panduga, the sun changes its course from the south to north and crosses the Makara Rekha called Uttarayan which is an auspicious movement. The third day, Kanuma, is dedicated to cattle; on this day people honor cattle and those who work in the farms. Special Sankranthi pujas are held for the departed as well.
Naga Panchami is celebrated at the same time in both the regions.
