The state of Gujarat has left its mark on the map of the world mainly for three reasons: 1) its business community that has made its presence felt not just in India but also in other countries specially USA and UK, 2); Father of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi and steel man of India Sardar Patel hailed from this state and 3) the Operation Flood, which this land brought in by bringing in a revolution in the production of milk and milk products, thus making India the largest producer of milk in the world.

GUJARAT-2010 

Gujarat: The land of delicious farsan and mishthan  |  With so many contrasts  |  A date with mythology  |  The prime places  |  Different religions mingle here  |  A reason to celebrate  |  Family gatherings  |  Food that is simply delicious  |  Cuisine Recipes

 

  Though no part of the state is more than 160 km away from the sea, it is a land of many contrasts. Gujarat lies at the northern end of the main moisture bearing winds of the SW monsoon. As a result, though the temperature all over the state is more or less the same, the rainfall shows great variations.

  It has Narmada river flowing through the state depositing large quantities of alluvium giving rise to good agricultural land. The Sabarmati and Mahi rivers also flow through the state. The river Tapti that flows through Broach and Surat has given these two districts fertile soils that yield rich crops of cotton. More than two thirds of the population tills the land and nearly half the state is covered by cultivated land. Wheat, bajra, rice, millet is grown in abundance. Besides cotton, the state is a major producer of groundnuts, accounting for one third of India’s total production. Tobacco is also grown in plentiful. Other important cash crops are cumin, sugar cane, mangoes and bananas.

GUJARAT-2010 

Gujarat: The land of delicious farsan and mishthan  |  With so many contrasts  |  A date with mythology  |  The prime places  |  Different religions mingle here  |  A reason to celebrate  |  Family gatherings  |  Food that is simply delicious  |  Cuisine Recipes

 

  History of Gujarat dates back to more then 4000 years. According to a legend, the famous Shore temple of Somnath was built by Somaraja, the Moon God to mark the creation of universe. The Lothal region of Gujarat, which is presently in Pakistan, still bears traces of Indus valley civilization. Another legend says that Lord Krishna developed Dwarka, which lies on the western tip of the Kathiawar peninsula. The original Dwarka was surrounded by sea but was subsequently destroyed and re-developed seven times to its present state

GUJARAT-2010 

Gujarat: The land of delicious farsan and mishthan  |  With so many contrasts  |  A date with mythology  |  The prime places  |  Different religions mingle here  |  A reason to celebrate  |  Family gatherings  |  Food that is simply delicious  |  Cuisine Recipes

   The state of Gujarat can be divided into 3 main regions: Eastern Gujarat, Saurashtra also called Kathiawar and Western Gujarat also known as Kutch.

  Ahmedabad is a principal and industrial city of Gujarat and India. Its ancient past has left its mark on the city in the shape of innumerable monuments of architectural beauty built in mellow honey coloured sandstone.

  Gandhinagar, the capital of the state, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is the 2nd planned city in India after Chandigarh. It provides a vision of beautiful parks and gardens, broad avenues lined with flowering, shady and ornamental trees, well laid out streets, monumental buildings and well designed functional houses.

  Baroda, also called as Vadodara, is famous for its museums, art galleries and the100 year old Laxmi Vilas Palace, which is a magnificent blend of oriental and occidental architecture. Also known for its long tradition of music, fine arts and education the city houses a number of educational institutions.

  Surat is another important industrial city, with its prosperous history dating back to the time of British East India Company. It owed its prosperity to silks, textiles, spices and exquisite diamond cutting and polishing and as a consequence the Portuguese burnt it thrice due to international rivalry.

  Porbandar, famous for it was in this city that Mahatma Gandhi was born, is also known for the temple devoted to Sudama, Lord Krishna’s bosom friend who came from a humble Brahmin family.  Bhavnagar, an important port, was built in 1743 AD. It also houses the 101 year old Samaldas College where Mahatma Gandhi studied.

  Jamnagar, which became world famous after the Reliance Company built a large oil refinery here, was founded by Jamasheb some 450 years ago.   Rajput chief Kunvar Vibhoji Jadeja founded Rajkot, a princely state with beautiful palaces, in the 16th century. Famous for mirror work, patchwork, silk embroidery, beadwork and tie-and-dye (bandhni), Rajkot is now fast developing on the industrial front too. Bhuj in Kutch is famous for its palaces and brightly decorated Hindu Temples.

 

  The combination of faiths has put Gujarat on the pilgrimage map. Besides offering a large number of religions in a microcosm, Gujarat also has many ashrams. Somnath and Dwarka are important religious centres for the Hindus, the Jains revere Palitana, Diu is highly regarded by the Christians and some of the most beautiful and holy mosques are in Gujarat. People of Gujarat are divided into three major groups in terms of religion - Hindus, Parsis and Muslims. Besides the Gujaratis, there are those from Saurashtra and from Kutch who have distinct culture and speak different dialects. The people of highland in east and south Gujarat are tribal and backward. They are simple and hardworking. Their social life, customs, traditions, way of living differs sharply from those living in the other regions. People belonging to Kutch region of Gujarat are hard working and are business minded. People of Saurashtra are hospitable and artistic. This trait of people has influenced the art and literature of this region.

 

  ‘Land of Festivals and Fairs’ would perhaps describe the state Gujarat more aptly with almost 3,500 of them being celebrated through the year. More than two hundred of these are unforgettable occasions that attract tens of thousands of people. Like elsewhere in India, the festivals and fairs of Gujarat revolve around an occasion - be it the turn of a season, the time for harvesting a golden field, or a religious event from India's extensive and rich mythological traditions. Among these the most unforgettable festivals are the Kite Festival held on January 14th, the Makar Sankranti day when thousands of kites dot the Gujarat skies. It takes on a competitive level, especially so in the major cities and towns. Other festivals celebrated are Gokulashtami, Navratri, Diwali, Pateti.

 

  Engagement Engagement ceremony known as vaghdhan is a close family gathering – more of a social get-together. The boy’s parents present the girl gifts, sweets, coconut and cash. Similarly the girl’s parents present the boy with gifts, sweets, coconut and cash. The couple, their parents and the present relatives are then served with jaggery and coriander seeds (goldhana) as a sign of cementing the alliance.

  Chunadi Odhavu This ceremony is held a few days before the wedding when the boy’s mother covers the girl’s head with a red coloured dupatta richly embroidered with gold thread. This is then followed by lunch or dinner at the girl’s house.   Other ceremonies like Pitthi (haldi ceremony), Shanghi (sangeet or singing), Mehendi (applying of henna paste on the bride’s hands), Mandap Muhurat (Ganapati Pooja and Grahashanti Pooja) are held in the two days preceding the wedding ceremony.

  Wedding Ceremony Once the bride and the groom exchange garlands most of the wedding rituals are done by the groom alone. Then comes the Hast Medap where the bride and the groom take the wedding vows. This is followed by the Mangal Phere around the havan (holy fire) followed by the Saptapadi. All the rituals over, the guests partake of an elaborate wedding feast. Besides undhiyo, puri, shrikhand, basoondi, dhokla, patra, vegetable pulav, a number of other items are served. These days people offer a fusion menu where some Chinese, Mexican and Italian dishes are also included for variety.

  Child’s Birth A child’s birth is heralded with lot of joy. Pedas or barfi are distributed to relatives and friends to celebrate the event. On the sixth day of the birth a pooja known as chhathi ni pooja is performed by the child’s aunt when it is believed that devi (goddess) writes the child’s vidhina lekh (future). Among other things a sweet called lapsi is made and distributed.   Death Generally mourning is observed for sixteen days from the day of the death of a person. Pooja is performed by the family members under the supervision of a priest on the 10th, 12th and 13th day for the salvation of the departed soul. Laddoos, kheer, puri, bhajia etc. are prepared. On the 13th day relatives and brahmins are also invited to partake of the prasadam.

   Gujarat has long stretches of unspoilt coastline and an endless supply of fish and shell fish. But strict Jainism in the past and orthodox Hinduism today has encouraged widespread vegetarianism. The Gujarati cuisine is not heavily spiced but slightly sweeter than the cuisines of the neighboring states.   Gujarati food is distinctively vegetarian with about 65% of its population shunning the meat. Gujarati cuisine is every vegetarian’s delight and is famous for its large variety of snack preparation which include spicy ganthias and milder papdis and many other preparations from theplas, khakras, papads, achaars and many more…

  Even though the state of Gujarat has absorbed many foreign influences over the years, the basic tastes in food have remained the same. There are very few people who do not relish Gujarati savouries - crisp spicy fried farsans, which can be bought in wayside stalls. The famous Gujarati thali served at weddings consists of farsans, sweetmeats and a variety of sweet and sour chutneys and pickles. This harmony, derived from mixing of the sweet with the salty, is what makes the cooking of this state different from the rest. Geographically Gujarat can be divided into four regions and because of the climactic differences there are slight variations in eating habits and modes of preparation.

  Northern Gujarat is popular for its traditional Gujarati thali consisting of rice, dal, curry, vegetables, sprouted beans, farsan, pickles, chutney and raita. In comparison Kutchi cuisine is relatively simple. It consists of khichdi, the main dish, eaten with kadhi - a savoury curry made of yogurt. Some common dishes include khaman dhokla, a salty steamed cake, doodhpak, a sweet, thickened milk confectionery and shrikhand, dessert made of yogurt, flavoured with saffron, cardamom, nuts and candied fruit which is eaten with hot, fluffy pooris. Saurashtra, in Southern Gujarat, is blessed with plenty of rainfall. Green vegetables and plenty of fruit therefore dominate Surati food. There are no elaborate preparations made, no expensive ingredients used and yet the food in its utter simplicity, tastes exotically different. Popular items include a delicious vegetable concoction called undhiyo and paunk, a tangy delicacy.  The remaining 35% of the state’s population consists of Bohra muslims and Parsis. Bohra muslims are the followers of Abdullah. They were hindus who adopted muslim religion. It is one of the very few communities in India who cook soups and serve in their meals - sarka, hot winter soup made of toovar dal with groundnut and coconut and sarki a cold summer soup made of toovar dal with the dices of cucumber, tomatoes and spring onions served garnished with a dash of beaten yogurt. Some of the other main dishes include malai tikkas (kebabs of beef marinated in cream), lagania seekh (a seekh kabab made of mined meat with egg wash on top and cooked in tandoor, kuddal palida (a dish made out of split peas, thick and sour in taste served with meat pulaos). The meals also include desserts like malai na khajla (a kind of a flaky pastry which is stuffed with malai) and sagla bagla.

  The Parsi cuisine on the other hand is a blend of western influences. Different types of rich meat preparations which are cooked with nuts. The best place to enjoy the Parsi food is at their weddings which are famous for their Lagan Nu Bhonu. Their traditional dishes include tareli mahchi (fried fish), patra ni machchi (a pomfret marinated with coriander chutney wrapped in banana leaves and steamed), salli jardaloo murghi (chicken cooked with apricot and garnished with potato straws), murghi na farcha (another popular chicken dish), tamatar pe eeda (an egg dish). The meat pulaos flavoured with saffron are served plain without any accompaniments. Lagan nu castar and kulfis are served as desserts.