Part 3 - Celebrating the Rice Harvest

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After our leisurely-paced hike, while enjoying a delicious family-style lunch, Prakash (owner of Palace Estates) told us there was a local celebration for the rice harvest, which is accompanied by traditional drumming and dancing. He arranged a jeep to pick us up and take us to the site of the dancing. So off we went for another junge-ly bumpy jostling jeep ride, following Prakesh and his family in their car.

It took a little while to find the location of the dancing — occasionally stopping the vehicles and listening for the drum sound, driving a little closer, listening, driving, until we found the site, a shady spot alongside some rice paddies.

Turns out it was more like a rehearsal or practice than an actual dance performance coming up after we leave, Prakash explained apologetically (needlessly, since we were still thoroughly entertained by the performance). Also turns out the Banyan tree that is usually in the middle of the circle-dancing died last year, and won’t be replaced for a little while -- a new tree is being tended in someone’s garden until it’s big enough for transplanting. And it turns out the drummer wasn’t really on his game (according to Prakash). And it also turns out another important part of the celebration involves small children throwing explosive fire-crackers, very loud and very near to our eardrums. But none of that distracted us from the entertainment of the men circle-dancing with sticks.

The dancing was followed by a trip to Prakash’s family friend’s house, where we were treated to the traditional food to celebrate the rice harvest, a desert made with rice that has been beaten into flour, mixed with smashed bananas, coconut, cane sugar, sesame seeds, and ghee*. Delicious.

*Ghee (milk fat, usually liquid by sometimes a semi-solid) is optional: it is served in a bowl like a condiment, so you can pour it on top of the desert (or whatever else is being served). A "bowl of ghee" is often provided at restaurants and homes, alongside the bowl of spicey-limey-green-mango-pickles. I generally decline the ghee.

We also managed to fit a quick walk through the old Palace (namesake for the homestay), the summer get-away for one of the rulers, now mostly in ruins.

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Photos

Kennelled dog
This is at the friend's house. The dog did not stop barking the whole time we were there.