Family Lakshmi Puja today. Pann, special to Kahmiri brahmins. So no, not much of a usual breakfast today. The kitchen cannot be polluted by normal cooking, just bread and butter, and whatever packed snacks. No tea with the breakfast.
The women - wife, daughter, daughter-in-law along with kitchen-expert son-in-law are all engaged in making the prasada, Roth, Sweet thick fried, fat-heavy (Ghee) bread. This has to be done with very carefully weighed ingredients, as left by my deceased uncle to my wife, otherwise they will not come out well and break.
After the sweet ones have been prepared (which would be sent to close relatives also), I may get my cup of tea. This will be followed by making salty 'Roths', which is not a part of prasada and is easier to make. Well, I could have made coffee with the percolator. But then, in North India, coffee is no substitute for tea.
After this, a short Puja, the recitation by my wife of a very childish story as to how Mother Lakshmi helped kings and commons in the past and that she should continue to help us in the same manner. But that is the tradition.
Well, went to teh Bhai Dooj gathering yesterday hosted by my nephew according to a rotating list. Nice snacks, not very nice food. Missed some members because of illness and a death, of a cousin younger than me. Some things in life have to be tolerated.
Two daughter at the back, two daughters-in-laws in the front, and three other fat daughters-in-law.
The young ones. Missing my elder grandson and grand daughter. Well, if the girl with the headphone comes up OK, needs to jettison some of her baby fat, she could be the one for my grandson.
The girl standing against the wall is tall and beautiful, a grand niece. She has completed her MBA and has taken up a job recently. May the deities bless her.
