10 Types of Traditional Sweets for Bengali New Year

Bengalis are almost synonymous with sweets. Want to impress a Bengali? It is simple; just tell them you love mishti and maachh, i.e. sweets and fish. Bengalis swoon over these two things. Though it is rasogolla and sandesh which represents West Bengal or Bengalis outside their state, but Bengali traditional sweets are much more than that. Here is a list of best ten. You need to eat them to believe me. Meanwhile read on for a virtual gastronomic fiesta.

1. Mishti Doi- Sweetened yoghurt as the translation goes, is one of the finest sweet dish ever produced and almost all Bengalis will vouch for it. It is a must for all celebrations in Bengali households. Sweet lovers can recreate the magic at home by setting yoghurt in earthenware with sweetened milk added in caramelized sugar. Bengalis settled abroad add condensed milk, evaporated milk and full fat yoghurt in equal proportion and bake it in oven to get their much loved dessert in faraway lands.
2. Kalakand- This is yet another mishti very popular on holy occasions. It is made by curdling sweetened milk and then heated to make a sticky material which is further flattened on plate and cut in small squares. There are some fancy versions of this sweet available. Some are traditional while some of them are contemporary like strawberry and chocolate flavored ones. However, most popular one of them is kesar or saffron flavored kalakand.



Sweets of Bengal

3. Pranhara- Pranhara or kanchagolla is a hot favorite among calorie conscious people or for them who are not much fond of sweets and eat only because they have to. Poila boishakh or Bengali New Year is one such occasion when you cannot survive by refusing sweets. Lightly sweetened and melts in your mouth- pranhara is a good solution for both guests and the hosts. 
4. Kheerkadam- You will rarely find a kid who does not like this sweet. This is a layered sweet where the outer cover is made of solidified milk or mashed cottage cheese and inside a small syrup soaked sandesh. Absolute delicacy!
5. Jalbhara Sandesh- This is a favorite of hardcore sweet lover and frankly speaking it is not everyone’s cup of tea to finish a full size jalbhara sandesh. It is made of dry fruits, chhana or curdled milk, and sugar or jaggery. It has a filling inside which varies with season- in summer it is sugar syrup while in winter it is nolen gur, a variety of jaggery. It is almost a must have on Poila Boishakh.
6. Chhana Paturi- This is quite an innovative take on Bengali traditional sweets. In this sweet, chhana or cottage cheese is finely mashed with sugar, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked. The end result is a soft, mildly smoky flavored sweet with a subtle taste.
7. Ledikeni- There can be dispute regarding the spelling of this sweet but its popularity is surely undisputable. This is a cylindrical version of gulab jamun and made of chhana and flour and cooked in sugar syrup. Though there are several legends regarding its invention and all of them have one single point that it was a favorite one of Lady Canning when she was in India from 1851 to 1856. So it was named after her and colloquially it became Ledikeni.
8. Chhanar jilipi- Who doesn’t like jalebis- the crisp, glossy and absolutely delectable. But this jilipi, appearance and texture wise, stands binary to the regular ones. These are soft, brown and thick but like the former one tastes heavenly.
9. Payesh- This is a homemade dessert and probably the most popular one. Outside Bengal known as kheer, it is made with rice cooked in milk till it is reduced to half. Poila Boishkh is incomplete without kheer.
10. Chhanar murki- Many Bengali will associate this mishti with their childhood because this has lost its old sheen and available only in some traditional sweet shops. As name suggests, it is made of cottage cheese and stands for authentic Bengali sweet. 

The Perfect Traditional Ikat Sarees to Rock this Maha Visubha Pana Sankranti

Ikat sarees used to be a prevalent fabric and pattern of Tamil Nadu but with time it gained prominence in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha. In each of the state they are known locally. Though not much is known about this textile art form from our ancient history but from cave fresco of Maharashtra, scholars have agreed on the fact that Ikat has existed in 7^th century CE, thus has a long history. In Odisha, villages located in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts are dedicated to this tie-and-dye technique and weaving pattern. So, Ikat is one of the most popular forms of saree in Odisha and can be the most apt wear for Maha Vishubha Pana Sankranti. This is the New Year day festival, which falls on 14 April, observed by the Hindus and Buddhists in Odisha.

1. Since this is a holy occasion, try yellow maroon silk Ikat. It is perfect for the morning, especially if you are doing Puja or attending one. Many shops start their balance sheet from this day and throw party in the evening. You can easily steal the show with the elegant looking bright yellow silk saree with gorgeous maroon border and pallu. The golden zari work adds zing to the overall saree. When you team it with right jewelry, kohl painted eyes and a maroon or red bindi, your look will be complete.
2. When it is a homely affair where no outsiders are coming, but since it is a special day, you are entitled to look special. Go for the traditional black and maroon cotton Sambalpuri Ikat Pasapally saree. It will be easy to manage your cotton saree when you are the one responsible for puja and everything special taking place in home. You don’t have to be conscious of the saree getting soiled which is so usual when you are wearing silk saree. 
   
3. This Maha Visubha Pana Sankranti, try white Sambalpuri Ikat cotton saree with red or orange border and pallu. In such sarees, usually there are few vertical or horizontal stripes. This way you can be traditional yet contemporary, simple yet stylish. Team it with some junk jewelry and lac bangles. You can go a step ahead with decorating your hair with red or white orchids. White saree will also beat the excessive Odisha heat. It will be a perfect traditional Ikat saree for the perfect occasion.
4. Often huge parties are thrown on this auspicious occasion. For such events, the pink traditional Sambalpuri Ikat silk saree with Pasapally and Ikat work in the body and Rudraksh dooby in border serves the purpose best. This is in mulberry silk. Truly, it will be an expensive saree, but once you drape it, you will feel that every paisa spent on the saree is worth it.
5. The jet black body with traditional Ikat work in grey and maroon pallu and border with Rudraksh and temple motifs is perfect wear for a casual get together at the evening on the auspicious occasion of Maha Vishubha Pana Sankranti. You can wear it for day occasion too, but in the scorching heat, the black saree may make you feel uncomfortable. 

The above mentioned Sambalpuri Ikat sarees are exclusive ones. They are the children of this soil and thus have a great reverence among the people of Odisha. Whether you are from this state or not, but if you want to be one of them, drape one Ikat saree and attend puja or party organized for Maha Vishubha Pana Sankranti. You will not only rock the event but also become a part of them without making any extra effort. 

Weaving Process of Bengal's Pride Jamdani Sarees

Jamdani is a kind of cotton saree that is worn by women in Bengal. As far as the different varieties of muslin go it is undoubtedly one of the finest. It can be a figured or there may be flowers woven into these sarees. As far as the weavers in both Bengal and Bangladesh go it is said to be the most-artistic textile ever. They are normally woven in brocade loom. Apart from that there is a weft technique that is used to weave these sarees. This particular weft for weaving these sarees can be regarded as a supplementary one.

   

Weft technique of weaving

In this method of weaving Jamdani sarees artistic motifs are used and they are produced by the weavers who use a weft that happens to be non-structural in nature. The weft used normally to weave these sarees is also there in this case. It is supposed to hold together the warp threads. The standard weft plays an important role by creating fabric that is sheer and fine in nature. The supplementary weft has thicker threads and its role here is to add some detailed and delicate patterns to the mix. In this case the weavers add each and every supplementary weft motif manually.

Addition of supplementary weft motif

This addition takes place when the warp threads are interlaced into the warp. For this purpose fine bamboo sticks are used alongwith individual thread spools. As a result of such intricate artwork you see so many different kinds of patterns in these sarees. It looks as if they are floating on a surface that seems to shimmer like there is no tomorrow. There is a remarkable aspect of this particular pattern of weaving – it is not outlined or sketched on the fabric. Rather than that it is drawn on a graph paper and then placed beneath the warp.

Traditional Dhakai Jamdani Sarees of Bengal

Colour palette

The decorative motifs on Jamdani sarees are woven normally in grey and white. Quite often you would also see a combination of golden cotton threads being used. Normally Jamdani work is done on sarees but it can be done on handkerchiefs and scarves as well. It is said that the cloth-weaving technique of Jamdani evolved in ancient Bengal. It is said to be around 2000 years old. It was primarily done on muslins by Bengali Muslims, who started this particular tradition during the 14^th century. Normally Jamdani sarees are quite expensive because it takes a lot of time and a whole lot of dedication.

Jamdani patterns

Jamdani patterns are mostly geometric in shape. However, floral and plant-based designs are quite common as well. It is said that these designs came into being around a millennium back. Since such exquisite and painstaking methods were used in order to craft these sarees only members of royal families were able to afford them. However, over time, these patterns have changed. There is no specific date to determine when the floral patterns on Jamdani sarees came into being. It is said however that it was either during the reign of Akbar or his son Jahangir that this work came to be known as Jamdani.

History of Jamdani

Forbes Watson has written a valuable book named Textile Manufactures and Costumes of the people of India, where he has said that these figured muslins were the costliest products of their kind in the looms that operated in pre-Independence Dhaka (then known as Dacca).  Much of this had to do with the fact that the sarees had quite complicated designs. The industry itself started to face some problems from the middle part of the 19^th century. However, it still remains very much in fashion today. 

Must have handloom cotton sarees to welcome summer

The winter season has left us and summer is supposed to come in soon after Holi. The time is right to think what we are going to wear in the spring and summer seasons. The planning needs to be done primarily keeping in mind the summer season since it is the one season that will last the longest. As far as women are concerned, cotton sarees are going to play a major role in this regard. The beauty of these sarees is that they can be worn to work as well as on special and festive occasions. There are plenty of options that you have in this regard.

Bengal Cotton

As far as cotton sarees are concerned Bengal cotton sits right there at the top. They happen to be the prettiest members of their fraternity. These sarees can be differentiated from others of their ilk by virtue of the way in which they are weaved. Their patterns are also another key component in their unique appeal. These sarees are ones that should be in your collection. These sarees are available in different colors but pink, check, and white are the most preferred options.

Chettinad Cotton

Chettinad Cotton is one of the most popular forms of cotton sarees that you will see in southern India. Compared to other cotton sarees these are a little bit heavier. You would see them normally in grounded and earthy colors. They are colored using dyes prepared from vegetable extracts. For a simple function you can easily team them up with beaded necklaces as well as jhumkas that are light enough by your standard.

Mangalgiri Cotton

These beautiful sarees come from Andhra Pradesh and are basically synonymous with the said province. These are basically starched cotton sarees and the shine on their borders, as well as their gleam, are second to none. The way in which these sarees are weaved is different as well. They originate in a town named Mangalgiri, located in the Guntur district.

Cotton Sarees are Ideal for Summer Wear

Chikankari Cotton

When you are talking about Uttar Pradesh the Chikankari Cotton sarees are the most obvious choice as far as wearing in the spring and summer seasons is concerned. These sarees have some fantastic embroidery, the kind which you may have not seen before. The embroidery is intricate and detailed to say the least. The sarees are mostly available in pastel colors. Pink and blue are the most preferred shades as far as these sarees is concerned.

Kota Cotton

Kota Cotton sarees originate in Rajasthan, a state well known for its colors. These sarees are really light and that makes them a dream as far as wearing them is concerned. Apart from that, they are quite pretty as well. These sarees offer an unmatched variety with regards to borders and prints. You can easily wear them to functions as well as on a day out. The best thing about all these sarees is that they look fabulous even with little ornamentation. You can wear them will dull gold as well as oxidized jewelry.

Some dos and don’ts  

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind when you are wearing these sarees. First of all, never wear too much jewelry with them as that can significantly ruin your look. One of the commonest problem in India is the general acceptance accorded to the saying the more the merrier. Little do they realize that this does not always apply! Cotton sarees by themselves are quite sophisticated and elegant – there is really no need to add to them with over-the-top accessorizing. It is really time that you know and understand that what kind of ornamentation suits what you are wearing.