Other than Puja and prasadam, excessive tea takes the centre stage through the Navaratri pageant in Chennai

Navaratri is right here and the dolls which can be safely bubble wrapped and saved within the attic have been introduced out and organized thematically on the golu padi (steps) and adorned with lights and flowers. It’s that point of the 12 months when family and friends go to golus, taking day out to socialize. The development in the present day nevertheless is that households that show the golu, don’t simply supply prasadam/naivedyam reminiscent of sundal or puttu to the friends but additionally meticulously plan an elaborate menu and presents.

Padma Devadoss of VGN Builders, says she hires caterers to serve an elaborate excessive tea in bandhi fashion (the place friends are seated and meals is served on a banana leaf). “There may be puja day by day of Navaratri, and I invite friends residence within the evenings. I plan the menu by July and inform Arusuvai Arasu Catering Companies. Visitors are slotted into 4 classes: relations and cousins, enterprise contacts, faculty and faculty mates, and neighbours. This fashion, I get to spend time and socialise with them,” says Padma, who began grand Navaratri celebrations in 2015.

Chef Santosh of Canvas Cafe, Alwarpet,. who has been catering for Navaratri excessive tea, says that the development of hiring caterers for 2 or three days through the nine-day pageant is catching up. “We stick with conventional meals, however with a twist. For instance, we make cone-shaped millet idlis steamed in peepal leaves and thematic cupcakes. We make stuffed kozhukattai, utilizing sprouts or microgreens. Our dahi dosa is well-liked, whereby I make mini dosas, and stuff them with several types of fillings reminiscent of potato, mushrooms, sprouts, and roll them, and organize them in a shallow tray. Over this, we drizzle curd crushed with spices and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and minced coriander leaves,” he says, including that they guarantee all of the objects don’t comprise onion or garlic.

Sabudana Vada by Canvas Cafe
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Particular Association

Cone formed millet idli by Canvas Cafe
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

For Andal Aghoram, educationist and co-founder of Veranda Studying Options, Navaratri is a grand celebration in her joint household. “My sisters-in-law and I collectively organise and plan the celebrations, the return presents and visitor record two months forward and focus on the menu with the caterers. We make sure that we serve solely conventional meals objects, though we indulge kids with ice cream,” says Andal. As many individuals quick throughout Navaratri, Andal makes positive there’s sabudada kichdi or vada and poha on the menu. Because the household invitations friends for 2 days throughout Navaratri, they rope in caterers to serve the friends. They like counters to be arrange for mini idli (served with totally different podi choices), poori and dosa counters. Appam and idiyappam are additionally well-liked. Other than this, there’s additionally a wide range of sweets. The golu at Andal’s residence is thematic, and final 12 months’s theme was Tirumala Tirupati; the 12 months earlier than it was.Shirdi Sai Babai. This 12 months they’ve determined to spotlight gold plated dolls. “Navaratri was totally different through the 70s and 80s, the place we served the naivedhyam of the day, however in the present day it has emerged as a significant social occasion which offers a chance to ask mates and relations residence and serve them excessive tea.”

TIrumala theme golu on the residence of Andal Aghoram, final 12 months
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Particular Association

Soumya Ramesh, of Arusuvai Catering Companies, who alongside together with her brother N Sridhar, takes up catering providers throughout Navaratri says that this concept of an elaborate conventional excessive tea has been gaining recognition over the previous decade. “We start with a welcome drink (contemporary juice or rose milk) and usually, arrange idli, dosa, and appam stations. We’ve got one number of rice (coconut rice, coriander rice and so forth), kichadi, one sundal and freshly brewed filter espresso. One sabudana-based merchandise is included within the menu. For dessert, it’s chilled kheer. Primarily based on requirement we both use the bandhi fashion or we now have a buffet,” she says, including that some households choose only one counter with pani puri and bhel puri, a welcome drink and filter espresso. Bharath Ok of Arrvee Catering in Alwarpet says that they simply put together the meals and ship it throughout. He affords a set menu of mini samosa, bonda, sundal, podi idli and mini oothappams. Chef Santhosh says that he ensures that his employees who serve are additionally thematically wearing veshtis and silk saris throughout Navaratri.

Septuagenarian Prema Srinivasan, seems ahead to this pageant as she will get the chance to satisfy her faculty and faculty mates. “We find yourself spending a few hours, and my cooks put together a very good unfold. I choose to serve home made milkshakes or juice, paniyaram, kichadi, kesari, sundal and perhaps sandwiches too. Whereas in the future I invite all my mates, on one other, I invite my relations,” she says.

The Excessive tea unfold at Latha Ganesan’s Navaratri celebrations
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Particular Association

Latha Ganesan, who celebrates this pageant with prayers and chanting day by day, says that it is a constructive development. “Forward of the pageant, I put together three or 4 varieties of conventional sweets reminiscent of badusha, Mysore pak, and sorts of laddoo. Throughout this annual get-together, I divide the invitees into mates and relations. Extra children are attending these get-togethers. Socialising is the spotlight of Navaratri and like in western nations, excessive tea is turning into extra prevalent. Because of the metropolis increasing and other people travelling from distant, I at all times serve an elaborate meal for friends throughout Navaratri,” she says. She feels that dhokla, sabudana vada or kichadi, sevai, keera vada or bonda together with sweets and low or contemporary juice is the apt menu for the season. This 12 months, nevertheless, Latha and her 4 mates plan to have a potluck at one in every of their houses. “I’m comfortable to see this development, a few of my mates organise live shows and herald mehendi artists and rent caterers. It’s good for the youthful era to make use of this time to socialize with cousins and relations. We should maintain alive our traditions and when meals takes centrestage, it makes it memorable,” says Latha.

Sixty-year-old Lakshmi Krishnan, who has been displaying her golu since 1993, says she seems ahead to 2 days throughout Navaratri yearly. “It’s a nice alternative to attach with my cousins and shut mates and I at all times serve them dinner and spend high quality time with each one in every of them. We rent caterers and it’s normally tiffin, served within the garden and for the aged we serve the meals inside the home. Every day I invite near 35 to 40 individuals,” she says.

“No matter faith we might comply with, we should have fun festivals with fervour. It’s not straightforward to coordinate and organise all the pieces and ship out invites for 4 days, however we make an effort and make it memorable as I believe festivals are essential. Particularly Navaratri, as it’s a neighborhood pageant the place everybody can take part,” says Andal.