Popati Party

One more foodie funda.

- Bindu Saxena

Are you tired of regular barbeque parties? Does mundane suck?

Well, here is a chance to quit the human concrete jungle and get closer to nature’s bounty for a laidback feel to warm your winter days.

Come! Have a vicarious pleasure as I share a heady unforgettable experience of India’s rural landscape and invite you to this offbeat station.

It was 26 January 2019 - just another day when as usual we were waiting to attend the flag hoisting in our residential complex, and anticipating to get glued to television for the Republic Day programme that someone somewhere had worked out – a great surprise, a detailed schedule for Popati picnic-cum-Republic Day celebration at his farmhouse.

As the day dawned we received an invitation for the same.

This was from a friend who own a multi-acre farmhouse about 55 kilometres from Pune.

Hurda and popati parties are ver much a part of Maharashtrian culture. Even though half of my life has been spent in this Indian state, have never had the privilege to attend such a party.

One might wonder if it has something to do with popats – that’s what a parrot is called in Marathi. No, it has nothing to do with this red and green avian but we gave a tribute to the species by choosing to keep these two as our colour theme for the day.

The organisers hired a bus to seat nearly 18 couples and a dozen kids. Generally popati parties are enjoyed in the evening so one can stretch till the wee hours for longer sessions of happy hours so we packed up all the jubilance and headed out post lunch. Amidst incoherent chatters and rounds of antakshari under our vehicle pergola we touched the venue gate just before the sunset.

The host couple had dhol tasha arranged for our welcome. Its reverbrations were quite an experience to cheer!