Mom and Sankranti Prep

Today after a very long time I woke up at 8 am. This is because I was working till late at night for Sankranthi preparation also binge-watching a movie as well.

Sankranthi Ellu-Bella(ಎಳ್ಳು - ಬೆಲ್ಲ) preparation is a very elaborate process. This year I thought of working on the difficult part of Ellu-Bella which is slicing the dry coconut and cutting jaggery. Every year I at least roast the groundnuts and Ellu everything else my Mom did!

I realized this process is a herculean task only after I started it. My Mom explained tasks to be done.

Sun-dry the coconuts and then peel the thin skin of the coconut and then slice it with the nut cutter then again sun-dry.For jaggery cut using the nut cutter and then sun-dry.

With enthusiasm, I bought all the ingredients and started the process. Soon after I kept coconuts for sun-drying on the terrace, the weather turned dull and looked like it will rain. I ran to the terrace in the middle of some work to get the plate back. Then I dropped the idea of sun-drying on the terrace which meant having to keep an eye on the outside weather all the time.

While I was peeling the skin of the dry coconut with the grater, my fingers and hands cried. Cutting the coconut into slices was rather simple compared to this. Once again cutting the jaggery with the nut cutter was another story. Jaggery turned into powder and it was difficult to get into cubes like the way my Mom does for the first few pieces. Then slowly I learned the angle in which I should hold the jaggery and the cutter to get more cubes than the powder. The sitting position made my back strain a lot.

I wonder how my Mom makes more than 5 Kgs of Sankranthi Ellu- Bella for all of us to eat and distribute year on year. Usually, the ellu-bella which my Mom gives lasts for more than a month. The process of making ellu-bella I realize is no less than tapasya or austerity. Making Sakkare acchu( ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಅಚ್ಚು) or Sugar candies is another such Tapasya.  For my Mom, this surely is a way of showing her love for the family as well as finding divinity.