Happy Sankranti

the spread

This is the name of the holiday this week in the south of India to celebrate the crops.  There is a different name to the holiday in the north.   We were invited to one of our neighbors today for lunch along with many other families.  Lata (our host) made rice, rice with tamarind (sp?) and turmeric, this doughnut thing soaked in yogurt (yum), and rice pudding (but it has another name, double yum!!!).  A few other sauces to put on top of the rice. And she sent everyone home with lots of leftovers.  It was delicious and the kids just played and played with the other kids.

doughnut thing soaked in yogurt (yum)

Lata (our host) and I. 

K and T went to one of K's friends apartments for about an hour, then T came back and K was playing with the other girls till we met up with them at the park at 5:30.

And then at 8:30 there was a bonfire, well it didn't start till about 9 pm.  The kids were happy running around the grassy courtyard while they waited and balling up newspaper to put in the fire.  Then once lit, we walked around the bonfire chanting some prayers for a good harvest while throwing popcorn into the fire as part of the prayers.  Then everyone shared sweets, sesame seed bars, peanut (groundnut) brittle, pakora, and other treats. The kids stayed out till almost 10, and T insisted he wasn't tired (yeah right he's asleep already).

This festival also involves kite flying so hopefully we'll have pictures of that tomorrow.