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Barnyard Millet or Santa Rice
The barnyard millet is a wild seed, mainly grown in the mountainous areas of Uttaranchal, India. This millet is the fastest growing crop, which produces ripe grains at intervals forty five days under climatic conditions. Nutritionally, barnyard millet is a vital crop. It’s a good supply of protein, that is extremely digestible and is an excellent source of dietary fiber with sensible amounts of soluble and insoluble fractions. The carbohydrate content is low and slowly digestible, which makes the barnyard millet a natural designer food.
Because its tastes virtually just like broken rice hence, it’s know as the “Santa Rice”. This wonderful millet is a wholesome grain an higher nutritious that common cereal grain like rice, wheat and flour. Barnyard millet recorded lowest glucose, body fluid sterol and triglycerides compared to other millets. Hence this glorious millet is considered as nature’s gift to the fashionable diet. Barnyard millet had different religious name- Hindi: sanwa Kannada: oodhalu Telugu: udalu Telugu: udalu Gujarati: moraiyo Bengali: shyama
Qualities of Rice
* It is gluten free food.
*It does not contain sodium (good news for your heart and blood pressure).
*It is good source of essential minerals such as phosphorus and zinc which gives energy and nurture to your bones.
* It contains vitamin A, C, E which are essential for overall health and immunity.
* In India it is a popular ingredient during Navratri.
Health Benefits –
* Low in calories: It is a good source of highly digestive protein and sometime is least caloric dense compared to all other cereals. It is a grain which makes one feel light and energetic after consuming. A serving of barnyard millet (25g raw) gives 75 calories and 1.5g protein.
* Barnyard for diabetics: A study published in the in the Journal of Food Science and Technology that supplementation of barnyard millets among diabetics for a period of one week can reduce blood sugar levels. It improves carbohydrate tolerance among diabetics and non diabetics by significantly reducing fasting plasma glucose level.
* Rich in fiber: It is an excellent source of dietary fiber with a good amount of both soluble (4.2%) and insoluble (8.4%) fractions. The grain has the highest amount of fiber in comparison to other grains and millets with a serve providing 2.4 grams of fiber.
* Good source of iron: According to research on nutrient content millets, some varieties of barnyard millet have shown to certain high amounts of iron(18.6 mg in 100g of raw millet which was the richest amongst all millets and cereal grain.
* Gluten free food: like all millets the barnyard millet is gluten free. It is an appropriate food for patient who are intolerant to gluten or looking to follow a gluten free lifestyle which eliminates wheat, barley, rye based food .
How can people include them in their daily life
Barnyard millet is desirable for human food because it is easily digestible and gluten free. It can be given as porridge or kheer to babies between six to eight months and as cheela, dosa, idlis for babies above one years and toddlers. It can be added to chappati dough , idli or dosa batter. Whole barnyard milltes are commonly used to prepare upma, khichdi and pulav especially during the fasting days.
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Chinhat Pottery
Lucknow city, known for its rich heritage, mannerisms and the Nawabi culture has another dimension added to it in the type of Chinhat pottery. This is named after the location where it primarily originated and had put into the already abundant pool of ingenious and indigenous craft of the city. Chinhat Pottery was primarily produced in the Chinhat region which is at the eastern outskirts of the Lucknow city, on the Faizabad Road. Chinhat had emerged as a popular hub for pottery in the Uttar Pradesh back in the 1970’s and the terracotta industry was already thriving there for a long time.
Chinhat attracted visitors not only from India but from all over the world. Chinhat pottery is a creative and beautiful art form of handcrafted pottery which generated bread and butter for the local craftsmen. For the potters there, pottery making was not just an occupation to generate a livelihood, it was the work of theirs which they worshiped. The main speciality of Chinhat pottery is that it is totally handmade with no machinery involved unlike other crafts like making ceramics. Chinhat pottery was refined, well designed and decorated in a colourful form and consisted of Kitchenware, decorative bowls, plates, cup-saucers, containers, flower vases and vessels etc.
The beauty of the Chinhat pottery faded away because of the apathy from both the Central and the state government ashint well as the competition from pottery centre in district Khurja, which led to the shut down of this industry in the year 1992.
Types of Pottery
A- Earthenware
All the earliest forms of pottery were made from clays that were fired at low temperatures, initially in pit-fires or in open bonfires. They were hand formed and undecorated. Earthenware can be fired as low as 600°C, and is normally fired below 1200°C. Because unglazed biscuit earthenware is porous, it has limited utility for the storage of liquids, and even eating off. However, earthenware has a continuous history from the Neolithic period to today. Reddish coloured varieties are called terracotta, especially when unglazed or used for sculpture.
B- Stoneware
Stoneware is pottery that has been fired in a kiln at a relatively high temperature, from about 1,100°C to 1,200°C, and is stronger and non-porous to liquids. The Chinese, who developed stoneware very early on, classify this together with porcelain as high-fired wares. In contrast, stoneware could only be produced in Europe from the late Middle Ages, as European kilns were less efficient, and the right sorts of clay less common. It remained a speciality of Germany until the Renaissance. Stoneware is very tough and practical, and much of it has always been utilitarian, for the kitchen or storage rather than the table.
C- Porcelain
Porcelain is made by heating materials, generally including kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 and 1,400 °C (2,200 and 2,600 °F). This is higher than used for the other types, and achieving these temperatures was a long struggle, as well as realizing what materials were needed. The toughness, strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainly from verification and the formation of the mineral mu within the body mullite at these high temperatures.
Although porcelain was first made in China, the Chinese traditionally do not recognize it as a distinct category, grouping it with stoneware as “high-fired” ware, opposed to “low-fired” earthenware.
What the problems were faced by potters
The Chinhat pottery industry survived on its own and the government did not help them in marketing and sales. The lone government unit, started in 1957, was shut down in 1997 because the officials declared it a loss-making venture. No efforts were made to revive it. The advent of Khurja pottery, known for its blue and white designs, further dented the market. Consumer choices also shifted to melamine ware that was unbreakable.
Incidentally, it was the Chinhat pottery that introduced coffee mugs in the market because Lucknow, till then, was comfortable with traditional cups and saucers. Also people did not buy mugs but gradually they found it more convenient and this became our largest selling item.
The potters in Chinhat, interestingly, did not receive any training in the craft or design.They kept seeing pottery in the market and kept improvising. The women made new designs and helped them with the painting. They also improvised on shapes and designs if the customers gave them inputs. If the government will provide them support, the industry could have grown by leaps and bounds.
According to the research it founds that chinhat potters had sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office for reviving the industry under the start-up scheme. The MSME ministry can also help them. We have also asked chief minister Yogi Adityanath to include Chinhat pottery in the ‘One district One Product’ scheme along with ‘zardozi’.
What government can do for them
As we know that chinhat pottery industry survived on its own and the government did not help them in marketing and sale so from them government should reopen the industry and motivate peoples to buy it. As the workers are up to dated and knows the news design which were on trend in the market so for the purpose of decor peoples can easily buy them. Government should start exporting it in foreign countries which can be a huge advantage for the industry. As the potters in chinhat ,did not get any training for craft and design so government should start a training center also government should add pottery courses in chinhat for the youth so the interested student can get a better education as well as knowledge about it.
As a buyer how can we help them
A) We can use pottery things for home decor.
B) We should serve food in utensils made by pottery instead serving food in utensils of steel and glasses.
C) We should start consume more and more pottery things because somewhere it reminds the memory of village.
D) Due to the advancement people shift to other things instead of pottery so we should motivate peoples tell them that this is not an old fashion this is upgraded with the new trends present in the market.
Rann of Kutch
India is a country of numerous festivals. Among all these festivals Rann of Kutch is one of the most popular festival in Kutch Gujarat. Each year during the winters kutch Gujarat host Raan Utsav which means ”Desert Festival”. This festival is filled with music, dance, nature beauty of White rann and much more that when you visit under the full moon. Kutch Raan Utsav is the shimmering landscape that gives the enchanting moments of this Fest, which feels like as Heaven on Earth during festival time. In facts it’s a family holiday to explore fun moment and store in cameras for long time. Last year raan utsav was celebrated from 1st November to 20th February.
Kutch Beauty
Kutch, located in the State of Gujarat, is blessed with one of the most ecologically and culturally abundant landforms. The brimming profusion of nature’s beauty, culture and tradition, superfluity of colors and celebration, cornucopia of joy and beauty, all together reflect the magnificence of the kaleidoscopic Kutch. Particularly, the spectacular sight of boundless white desert under the moonlight presents the stunning creation of nature, unique to this world.
The distinctive folk dances and music, intricate arts and crafts, gracious people and nature along with the affluent handicraft culture of the district like folk textiles, exquisite embroidery, Bandhani sarees, traditional ornaments and mirror work are some of the specialties of Kutch, Gujarat, India.
Culture Of Kutch(Art, Music, Culture)
The Kutch district in Gujarat is well known for its traditional and cultural values. Kutch Culture is famous for its creative art. They speak Kutchi language. Culture of Kutch has different communities such as nomadic, semi nomadic still living. The houses in Kutch are very creative and civilized. Culture in kutch is very artistic.
The Kutch people are almost vegetarian and the main food include bajra and milk. They drink buttermilk while having lunch. Kutch is a creative region in india in the field of textile art. The embroidery work which is done in a very intense manner and it seems to be very attractive. The speciality of this region is embroidery work with different styles such as mirrors. Tatoo is the main Culture in Kutch.
A) Kutch Folk Music
Kutch district is very fond of Kutchi Folk Music and its plays a vital part of everyone’s lives. The foundation of the folk music is existed since the ancient period. Music is like harmony and the way through a man can show his feeling and sentiments. There are various instruments such as Dholak, Damaru, Murli, Nagara, Sarnai, Flute, Duff etc. Musical Instruments are linked with various aspects of people and their religion.
B) Kutch Folk Dance
Kutch culture also includes kutchi folk dance. In culture of kutch folk dance is the oldest form of dance. These are different forms of folk dance such as Dandiya Raas and kutchi Gajiyo. These are modern forms of dandiya know as disco dandiya.
C) Kutch Handicrafts
Kutch is being considered to be a heaven for numerous handicrafts, which are carried on from generation to generation. The traditional basis of its property has been foreign trade in various handicrafts. The artifact of Kutch moved not only the length and breadth of the country but also in the overseas market. The main handicrafts of embroidery of ethnic style, patchwork, terracotta, pen knives and nut crackers.
D) Embroidery
Kutchi people weave their dreams in different forms of embroidery. Kutch is renowned for its mirrored embroideries. Most of these were traditionally stitched by village women, for themselves and their families, to create festivity, honor duties or to generate wealth. Embroideries contributes to the substantial economic exchange required for marriage and fulfilled other social obligation which required gifts.
E) Wood Carving
It is one of the best handicrafts of Kutch. The Harijan people living in Dumaro and Ludia are master crafts persons of wood carving. They make various utensils like pastel roller, chapati disc, bottles, small tables, glass etc. of the wood doing attractive carving. Generally the use the teak wood and locally available bahuv wood to prepare the fine artifacts.
F) Mud Wall Painting
House in Banni area are living museums of beautiful paintings Rabari and Harijan womens folk traditionally experts in depicting their dreams in painting . They turn houses into homes. The clay collected and mixed with camel dung and kept for a few days. Then it is kneaded to obtain sufficient plasticity and designs are worked on the mud wall using this clay mixture.
Kutch Tourism
Virtually an island that resembles the shape of a tortoise, Kutch is an erstwhile princely state of India holding onto its grandeur nature from the past. Kutch is probably one of the most beautiful, yet surreal places in India. With the vast expanses of white salt desert in the Rann of Kutch area, this is an amazing experience to witness. One would be able to see just stretches of pure white land as far as the eyesight goes. The place comes to life during the winters when the Rann Festival is held during December-February everywhere in which there are huge camp settlements with cultural programs, functions and adventure activities like hot-air ballooning. Kutch is also among the largest district of India with a terribly low population density. Also, Kutch lies on the India-Pakistan border and you can see parts of Pakistan from Kutch. Kutch is also famous for crafts and embroidery works, Flamingo Sanctuary and Wild Ass Sanctuary. Bhuj is an ideal starting point to visit the Rann of Kutch. Beautiful beaches of Mandvi near Bhuj are also totally worth visiting during your trip to Kutch. Don’t miss to see the ancient town of Dholavira.
Best Street Food Of Kutch
a) Vada Pav – Vadapav is a Maharashtrian street food which is very popular in Gujrat too. We have a Ahemdabadi version of Vada pav which is dunked in butter and garlic chutney, but the Kutchi version was absolutely different. They served loads of mini chilly pakoras along with the Vada pav.
b) The Cone – When we say Cone we naturally think of ice cream, but this is a savory cone made of all purpose flour. The cone size is just like ice cream cone. The vendor has a stove where he has a masala or stuffing made of spiced potatoes. He stuffs a little of this stuffing in the cone, adds some chutneys, tops with spicy peanuts and repeats the process.Definitely a a very delicious savory cone.
c) Dabeli – Dabeli is a Kutchi street food and is popular all over the world now, but in Kutch you get dabeli in umpteen variations. One variation which made me curious was the Ice Dabeli. I wondered what it would? Can you guys guess? …well this Dabeli was made in a slightly different manner with chilled curd and chutneys, hence the name Ice Dabeli.
Why Should You Visit Raan Utsav??
1. The White Desert Sunrise and Sunset: When we think of sunrise and sunset oceans and mountains will come to over mind. A desert will never come up to our mind. Every sunrise and sunset is glorious but there is none other than White Desert. The salt-crusted land looks beautiful in the changing light of Sun at the dawn and dusk. This experience will make visit to Kutch Rann Utsav an unique experience.
2. Temples and Museum: The Swaminarayan temple located in Bhuj city is an architectural marvel made of marble, it attracts devotes and travellers across the world. The building was destroyed completely under the earthquake in 2001 but it has been rebuilt again with contribution of devotes from overall world.
4. Mandvi Beach: It is the most finest beach situated along the 1666 Km long Gujarat coastline. The Mandvi beach is very peaceful place. It is a holiday spot for Honeymooners, Family and youngsters. The air is breezy and the sun kissed sands make the place worth visiting.
5. Kala Dungar (Black Mountain): This is the highest point in Kutch. This place
to be in ones list to visit without fail. The views of Kutch is breath-taking from this point. There are ample of photographic opportunities available from this spot.
