Mandaveli resident Kamakshi Ashok, a kindergarten teacher in a private school, wears a contended look after the elaborate Krishna jayanthi celebrations at her home.
Kamakshi stuck to tradition even if it meant some sweat. For, she enjoys preparing for festivals
She made uppu seedai, pal payasam, vella seedai, vella avil, nei Appam, muthusaram and kai murukku for this festival.
While muthusaram and kai murukku were made on festival eve, the rest was made on the day of the festival.
Said Kamakshi,” I learnt these recipes from my mother though I never got a chance to try them along with her as she passed away early on.”
She is a resident of Mandavelipakkam for 20 years.
A native of Palakkad, she moved to Chennai after marriage.
“I prefer to do all the prasadam items myself as I believe it to be a sort of prayer,” she says.
Her mother, Shantha Rajan, had documented the recipes in a book – it is called the family book.
The cousins and Kamakshi dig into this valuable book to make sweets and savouries.
“We celebrate all festivals in an elaborate way at home and I prefer to make a huge spread of each item,” she says, the enthusiasm slipping into the conversation.
She is also a kolam enthusiast.
“It was during the lockdown that I consciously got into kolam designing. I combine other art forms while making the kolam and it truly is a stress buster,” she says.
- By Preetha K.
