More Than Just Bhang: The Real Flavor of a Mountain Shivratri
In the quiet valleys and on the steep slopes of the mountains, Shivratri isn’t just another date on the calendar. It’s a feeling, woven into the very fabric of our homes and hearts. While the rest of the country observes this night with devotion, up here in the hills, it carries a flavor that’s uniquely, beautifully ours.
Walk into any kitchen on Shivratri eve, and you’ll be greeted by the warm, inviting sizzle of delicacies being prepared. The aroma of Babaru (Poldu), crispy Bade, sweet Malpua, spiraled Sanse (Shakali), and golden Pakodas fills the air. Every festival has its special feast, yes. But here, the food tells a deeper story.
The real magic happens the next day. A portion of every dish made is lovingly set aside—not for the gods, but for the daughters. Married sisters, aunts, nieces, and nephews receive a parcel of these homemade treats, delivered with care from their parental home. It’s a tradition that speaks louder than words.
Can the new generation truly grasp the unspoken emotion in that simple act? The silent message it carries: “You are still ours. This home is still yours.” Though the world moves fast and these customs may be fading in some places, that thread of sentiment, thin as it might be, still holds strong in many hearts.
It’s precisely this sacred sentiment that makes us pause with concern. In the midst of this beautiful, family-centric celebration, a shadow often creeps in. Some people, in the name of Lord Shiva, feel it’s their prerogative to indulge in intoxicants. Bhang, ghota, dhatura—they become the “special prasad” of the day, socially sanctioned and casually consumed. We’ve become so used to it that we don’t even bat an eye if a young person or a child has “too much” on this one day. We dismiss it as tradition, as fun, as a one-time thing.
But we forget. Every long, painful journey begins with a single, easy step. The despair that fills homes today because of addiction—the terror of chemical drugs, the slow extinguishing of lives and dreams—did it arrive all at once? No. It often walked in through that very door of “one-day belief,” disguised as festival fun. The path from a socially accepted high to a life dominated by dependency is shorter than we think. The sooner we recognize this, the safer our homes will be.
A Humble Request This Shivratri
This year, the Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti, alongside the Public Health Campaign, reaches out with a simple, heartfelt appeal. Let’s not allow intoxicants to hijack a festival that is truly about love, family, and our rich cultural heritage.
Instead of just observing a one-day fast, what if we took a deeper, more meaningful vow? Let’s pledge to keep all our celebrations—whether big or small, traditional or modern—completely free from every form of intoxication, be it the “traditional” bhang or the deadly chemical drugs.
Let this Shivratri be a true celebration of life, not an escape from it. Let’s keep the flavor of our festivals pure, just like the love we pack in those parcels for our daughters.
In support of the “Save the Youth Campaign (YBA)”
