Red Chillies; Indian Heat and Spice Savitri Bai- Stoic n Simple Abundance
In an inspiring, tiny hamlet in the far-along corners of Karnataka, India, abides a tiny, inspiring hamlet that goes by the name, Hiriyur. This village community is industrious and engaged with the business of farming Onions, Corn and yes, Chillies! A 360 degree view offers-up images of productivity and community effort. There are heaps of corn drying in the sun, sacks of onions waiting to leave for the whole-sale market and the “City” and men and women, as equals, engaged in the peaceful, humble comfort of predictability. Life is simple. Life is almost all too perfect. Life is as it should be.
The roads leading to Hiriyur are well-tended, even though we’re traveling into the interiors, the sides of the lanes within the Village itself are immaculate, the homes have colorful, inviting doorways, beautifully decorated with auspicious motifs and the roof is quite simply, reliable, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, thatch.
This is home to the Lambani tribe that was once nomadic and originated in Rajasthan and Gujarat and travelled South. It has had its peoples as natives of Northern Karnataka for some time now. Wanderers no more.
And, this rustic Eden has a matriarch who introduces herself as Savitri Bai. A simple lady with a disarming, warm smile, as radiant as the sunshine above us and equally, abundant. It was a post-card moment. Still. Evocative of Life. Provoking interest. She had a reasonably large pile of brilliant Red Chillies sprayed-out on a black tarpauline. She sat calm and content, on the steps of her home, watching over her produce and made no effort to draw attention to herself or her wares. We were visiting her home and village and she was the gracious woman, one with her environment, in need of much but not in want of anything strangers might bring to her.
The pictures that follow tell the story as it should be told…..Browse on.
Savitri Bai. You reveal the simple abundance of the blessing of life well-lived. Thank you.
Thanks for writing such a good article, I stumbled onto your blog and read a few post and I am quite sure that it will help lot of people to get informed about our culture.