What is Sanjha Chulha?

What is Sanjha Chulha?

Saanjha Chula ek Door Darshan per TV series aaya kartee thee .........

I am sure quite a few may know the meaning of Sanjha Chulha, because it's a very common punjabi term and also there used to be a tele-serial with the same name on DD. It's one of the most beautiful traditions of Punjab. It was started by Guru Nanak Dev jee in Pakistan part of Punjab. It was the tradition of langar or community kitchen. It was that langar tradition that led to Sanjha Chulha (Common Oven).

In those days (and in some small villages even today) generally men would go to farms while women will do chores at home (although a lot of women in Punjab used to do farming too). In the evening, all the women would make some kind of daal/sabzi at their home but not everyone could afford a chulha (earthen oven or kinda tandoor). So, all the women will take atta (wheat flour) from their home and cook all the rotis together. While cooking rotis they will also discuss everything under the moon. This made it an ideal community place to exchange gossips and stories from all around the village. After making rotis they all will take their share and goto their respective homes, away from the gossips and closer to reality.

Sach kaha , Europe / WEST mei humare Bharat jaise Ped, ful Phool nahi hote ! Rasmo rivaz bhee ees tarah ke nahee hote , shayad isiliye hum baar baar , apne ateet ki taraf laut jate hain.

When I look back to my childhood scenes --- I remember the Garden at the back side of my parents' home --- there were 2 GUAVA trees , may b they r still laden with un ripe amrood or Peru fruits ? .... then there were 4 coconut trees which always had enough fresh coconut water to be offered to any Guest that came by. There was an IMLI ka tree ...with White Vilayatee Imli which was sweet & pink colored hanging in C shape from green branches ...

There were 12 or 15 shrubs of BUTT MOGRA - KING JASMINE which has dense white Flowers , with multiple petals .....

In the middle og our Garden , was plain Red Clay Earth. on this small piece of Land.

When I was 11 or 12 yrs old, us Girls would put 3 bricks in a U shape , put some dry wood & start a fire & borrow some rice & daal & haldi & salt & a big Brass pot & cook Khichdee over that fire !!

How happy we were when after half an hour or more it got cooked & we ate it as it gave off a sweet smell in that smoke filled air of early afternoon ............

Meena & Jairaj Uncle's daughter Geetu my playing companions & my younger Sister , Mongi & elder sister Vasavi was there & my youngest sibling, Paritosh hovered , near by.
Paritosh still lives there & must glance at that piece of land often while I see it only in my dreams ...
I remembered this because i happened to read this write up ..........today & am nostalgic ................. http://vidhur.rediffblogs.com/2005_20_02_vidhur_archive.html -- lavanya