Thamma’s powdered gold of India
I spent the greater part of my childhood with my Thamma, (grandmother like we call in Bengali). Like most Thammas she was intelligent, loving and very warm. From dawn till dusk, I enjoyed seeing her scurrying across the house—from one floor to other, giving instructions to the housekeeper, cook, and my Dadu. Her infectious energy lightened up the household.
Thamma was a terrific cook. Her specialties included anything from a complicated chingri maccher malai curry to a humble beguni which Bhai and I could lap up in minutes.
She was a caregiver of our family and supreme caretaker of the house. Whenever we fell sick, I remember Thamma feeding us tea made with garam masalas, haldi and misri; or sometimes a paste of haldi and tulsi leaves. She was an ardent follower of Ayurveda. Thamma would often say that haldi or turmeric, is the powdered gold of India—she used it in everything. She revered Haldi.
Once Thamma breathed her last, all her medicinal nuskhaas started waning from our memories. Ayurvedic remedies were replaced with expensive medicines wrapped in colourful foils. As our lives grew busier, so did the number of colourful pills we took. Today, in my forties, I am diabetic, have high blood pressure and am quite rotund. My new year’s resolution is to cut down on my medicines, and shift towards Ayurveda—go my Thamma way.
I try to be as active as Thamma was—ditching the lift for the staircase, consuming more home-cooked meals, waking up early in the morning and going to bed early at night, and making my simple medicinal concoctions with ingredients available in the kitchen.
The challenge has been finding pure and authentic products. As the years rolled on, adulterated foods crept into the market. Every other day, I come across news of fake paneer, margarine butter, and polluted turmeric swarming the market. Hence, I ensure I purchase products from trusted outlets—fresh farm produces, local markets or authentic wholesellers like www.srklee.com. Interestingly, I found original Lakadong Turmeric on SRKLEE. Lakadong turmeric is the finest quality of turmeric, grown only in Meghalaya, India. It has the highest concentration of curcumin and has tremendous medicinal properties.
I wish from the core of heart that I am successfully able to carry on my Thamma’s legacy and spread cheer, happiness and good health to my family and loved ones.
