A Different Parade

I've known about Award Nights . (I didn't say I have been to one. Just saying....)

And red carpets, and flared gowns, bow ties, and people ties,  swishing cars and banging doors, gliding Mercedes and  flashing diamonds, sachharine comments and sweet truths, and folks literally flying in, harnessed to a massive cage above a stunned audience....

I wonder if anyone has heard about Award Afternoons.  About arriving sputtering in a vehicle, with one less wheel than a Mercedes, open air style, convertible on the sides.  To be greeted by a spiffy shining dark jet black dog, who smells the air around you with deceptive ease, and lets you pass with his boss  saying "Namaste".  Then someone takes everything on your person (except you)  and passes it through an X-Ray machine. I am just glad they don't see my broken rib and fused tailbone.  Your belongings are then returned to you, and you enter the Republic Day Brunch Parade.

This is about the Parade, I did. On Republic Day, January 26. 2014.

At the Courtyard by Marriot Mumbai Airport. Who held a contest to define Republic Day as a dish, and asked us what it should be and why....

Naturally, as befits a 64 year old person, brought up on the celebratory properties on Payasam,  my entry was a poem about the Patriotic Payasam.

I won . :-)   Those Payasamically curious, may read the poem here.

A Brunch for 2, on Republic Day , at their Mo Mo cafe. Naturally,  the family photo expert attended with the camera.

The only thing different here was, that WE were the parade, as we walked amidst the breads and the salads, and chaats, and regular lunch stuff and pastas, regaled by the mocktails.

A bit different from sitting in one place, inside barricades, either  cheek by jowl with muffler wrapped folks, or elegantly wrapped in shawls in special enclosures, applauding , seeing the various   folks go by....

Ours was a perspective of the parading types. who watch the folks in the stands and galleries.

And naturally , this being Election Year, we had something to say about certain folks.


Stiff upright breads, puffed and positioned in important reserved places, hierarchical and hot in power...

 ADC's  standing in formation behind the Breadpati, unaffected by the spicy going ons...

 The ministers,  external affairs, home style, internal matters, agriculture, and milk matters, in place,based on their proximity to the boss, the onion, tomato peons standing by to the side,

 The bureaucratic olives, zuchhini habitat centre chholes, subdued onions, and powerful corns and sprouts, sitting in importance , watched by the lettuce balconies,

 Khatte Meethe security types, waiting to slowly arrive at important places , some tough , some sweet, and some downright sour,

 And to one side,  Delhi chaat types,  wrapped in jeerapani, crackling away in sev puri delight, with showers of tomatoes, sauce , and a glaring chilly look..

 Some clearly, dressed for the occasion, in orange and green chutney style, watched by the churmuri onlookers around,

 And then to one side, the armed forces, with the mocktails, fashionable cool and spiffy, flavored by the tangy orange, mysterious litchi, and in keeping with AAP, the AAM Panna,

 Some special seats across the gap, for hefty Dalwalas, and Paneerbegums and Mutterbens, respectfully sitting around the sophisticated handi rice folks hobnobbing with the newfangled carrot soup visitors....

 Sweet kulhad kids, playing with caramel,  with raspberry tops, and funny upside down pineapple types,  some older spicy cake kids, watching the fruit custards, and guavas , while the doodhihalwa kids whoop it up with the brownie pudding types watched by apple, pineapple and dragon moms, lying in syrup; what to do , kids will be kids......

 The Kiwi heads and Hazelnut tortes, keeping their distance; you see, the parade is nicely visible from a platform, they think.....

 The Tiranga Barfis, swathed in national colors, escorted by the paneeri ladies, respectfully sitting to one side....

 And the general veggie public, surrounded by white barricades, falling over each other, marinated in excitement, waiting since dawn, to watch the Republic Day parade.....

 Sometimes, an occasional bread security chap, standing to the side, one eye on the dahi vadas all immersed in themselves, as the cherries stand up to see better, leaning on the apples....

 A special place of course, for special folks, escorting the dragon fruit, an esteemed visitor to the capital, invited for the parade.....

 The custard fruit, salutes as the parade goes by, as the cake climbs to one side, to see better; perhaps the paneeribegums know what is in the parade, since they rest quietly, stewing in their own sweetness

 In all this celebration of the Republc Day , a lone Curd Rice, sits  amidst the salads and influential dhoklas; much like  a Kejriwal, at the Presidents reception, wondering, whether he is in the wrong place or they are..

 And yes, the AAM Panna,  made a mock-tale of  , possibly to suit the tastes of some, who have forgotten the taste of a winkingly sour raw mango and a summer nagpur orange, while fitting into the corridors of power ....

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Psst. If I were a Pulao or Tandoori Roti watching this parade, I wouldn't be too thrilled about having to watch a greying senior citizen in a salwar kurta and a young girl in a more celebratory outfit, lugging cameras and lenses.  I might add though, that there were several interestingly outfitted people one noticed later, in the parade . That would clearly, be fodder for another post ....

Just saying....