O Paar!!

Yesterday at work, I had some trash talk with a co-worker. It was real fun.

This guy is originally from Gujarat. We both started bragging about our kite flying skills and the trash talking won't stop. We challenged each other for a pecha and I told him, I, a Nagpuri is going to kick his snooty Ahemdabadi ass. (They think their kite flying skills are the best)

Finally people around us asked us, "why don't you guyz have a showdown". On a side note why do 'goras' have this obsession with showdown I wonder? People even said they'll have a wager on us and nominated someone to be a bookie.

Ya right! A kite "pechaa" in Chicago winter. That will work just fine, no?

Anyhow, so that talk made me nostalgic a bit. I always thought Sankrant in Nagpur is different than other places. It has it's own charm.

While the boys of the house are up on the terrace all day, well late into the evening, the female members are busy with a Maharashtrian ritual - Haldi Kumkum.

The best thing about Nagpuri Sankrant of course is the Nagpuri Lingo associated with it.

For example, who names a kite - 'Khada Sabbal Muchcha Khada'. Sounds like a stud's name. Or 'Bhangdar Tokdar'!! Whoa, that's some thought put in a name.

But that's Nagpur for you. Pure and unadulterated and completely uninhibited.

In school we used to play Girgot. That was a T-20 version of Kite flying, without a kite of course. BTW, that also tells how intense we were for Kites during those days. If you can't fly kite, well let's make do with a Girgot during lunch break.

"O Paar" was Nagpur's official war cry during the kite flying days. It's intensity of course peaked on 14th Jan when you could hear this on a very high frequency at even higher decibel. The local neighborhood rivalries that got build up during the pre-Sankrant season reached it's summit on Sankrant day when the rival groups would prepare that deadly manja late into 13th evening to be all set for next day.

I still remember how each segment of my index finger would have bleeding cuts, because of the sharp thread, by the time 14th Jan came. But that was little or no hindrance to go up on the roof and get my favorite "cheel" to fly high. Such were the passions.

Anyhow, it was then. I think the Kite culture in Nagpur has taken a beating. I have not seen Nagpuri Sankrant for a very long time now. More than decade actually. So who knows.

But I would leave you all with some 'Made in Nagpuri' words for Sankranti...

- Laggi, Saddi, Luddi, Saitee, Relle, Dabbedar, Kanna, Suttar, Ragga...

{please feel free to add more to this list.. in comments..}

O Paar!!!