Today I am going to write about the simple and tasteful artistic life of villagers. Most of them saw the outside world differently. preferring the deeper value of home, family and their small piece of farm land and mother nature. They were more relaxed living among their own community.
During the daytime men and young women worked in the farms. They took care of the cows and sheep grazing there. In the evening they came back home, put the cows in the enclosure (gowali), and gave them water, food and milked them. After cleaning their faces and hands, men use to come to their small courtyard and rested on beds made from coconut fibre rope and beautiful four coloured wooden legs. If there were small children in the house, they were put in their laps. After coming from the farm young women gave help to their mothers in law. Generally the older women of the house were serving food to children and men.
After finishing dinner men washed their hands and mouths and talked a little with their mothers. After putting one white sheet called 'chadar' on the shoulder and a local cap called 'pagari' or a Gandhi cap on their heads, they went out in the communal space called 'choupal', a place where village people used to meet, relax, smoke waterpipes called 'hukkas', and discuss common problems, punishments, marriages and so on. If someone was not behaving according to so called social rules, a hard punishment was decided by the local assembly ('Panchayat') as community sense was very strong.
Village people did not worry what to eat and drink and what they should wear when meeting friends and relations. There was no show off.
I remember repeatedly our helpers were not turning up for work for a couple of days. One day with curiosity, I asked one of them how they manage without work for so many days? In a very relaxed way one maid replied they are not anxious for about tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own trouble was sufficient for that day.
At the end of summer and the beginning of the rainy season, most of the house roofs were repaired or changed to prevent leakage throgh rain water. House walls were also coated with 'gara' (cow dung and mud mixed well with water). Some houses were decorated with faces and figures of cows, gods and goddesses from mythology.
Women were making hand made quilts with patchwork ,rugs with old torn clothes ('jajam'), applique work in their long skirts, embroidered pillow cases, bed sheets, cloth hand bags (used for travelling) and wall hangings and many more.
They were also making baskets with from a special local durable grass. The grass was first cleaned and coloured with different colours dried in the sun, then used for making baskets for storing fruit and vegetables and other uses. 'Dagaras' were made with bamboo which was used for cleaning grains and drying fruits and vegetables. There were many more uses. Later in the cities people liked these products. Now these products have great demand in export market.
Two times a week, Hat-Bazar were organised in the centre of the village town. Farmers brought their saleable products, and there were also small cloth merchants and glass bangle makers (chudiwala). Earthen pots ('kumhar') and many other household items and objects for entertainment were also brought and sold in this market.
Many people with family and friends were buying things needed for the house, especially young women were wearing colourful outfits were shopping glass bangles and other cosmetics. Old women were also enjoying meeting and chatting with the shoppers buying a few kitchen utensils and vegetables.
When I am talking about vegetables, I remember how they used turmeric in their daily life.
Turmeric's natural properties are tremendous. Turmeric is one of the very important ingredient for Indian curry; its use gives good flavour and attractive colour and is good for digestion. We all use turmeric in rice pilaf. It has medicinal value to strengthen our gums. Villagers enjoyed its utility. Most women used facial masks from turmeric mixed with oat meal, almond powder, sandalwood powder. lemon juice and honey in milk.
This tincture has an excellent antiseptic value. On hairline fractures, sprains and damaged tissues, plaster of turmeric with lime stone is good. Put a little butter and spread turmeric powder on a nan roti (flatbread), warm it on a griddle, and tie onto any swollen places with a cheesecloth - this makes you feel better. When suffering from a sore throat due to cold and running nose, before resting in bed at night, drink turmeric in a cup of milk and honey, which also reduces chest congestion
In this way, the village people were always were trying to find natural remedies for their daily health problems.
