Article by EIH Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Sonika Sandhu
India is a country of seasons, here we have sharp contrasting weather defined by monsoons. Each season brings about its own cultural change, from change in attires and wardrobes to cuisines to celebrating the winter festivals. Various communities and societies within the country have their own style and a unique way of welcoming the winter, and just as well the Indian Army too follows suit.
Indian army is an organization with its own traditions, ethos and values. From Raising days to battle honors, it has its own festivals, its own cuisines and the most outstanding its own attires. The onset of the winter in the army also has its own connotations and meanings; it starts with a change in the attires wherein ladies take out the Angola from the formidable black trunks, clean up the silver fish and sun The Uniform. For ladies it begins with packing up of the summer chiffons and slowly taking out the heavy silks, the kanjeevarams and the paithanis, the woolen blouses and overcoats. For no matter the weather every formal occasion would call for national dresses to be worn. From attires and uniforms the change is also seen in the general routine, the change in the office timings, delaying of the early morning physical training allowing us all a few minutes more of sleep each day. The rhythm of the entire cantonment takes a new fold; one can see people lounging in the gardens, to pickles being made to woolens and quilts being sunned to coffees being shared. New energy and vitality is seen in areas where winters bring a respite to the hot humid summers. Winters also bring about new cuisine and revival of the seasonal foods, gajar ka halwa becomes a regular on the dessert menu and so does Sarson ka saag ‘te’ makki di roti every Sunday in the mess. The bitter sweet white radish is now a constant part of the salad, making for the loud munching one can hear from the dining rooms. It is also the time for cooking up the heavy curries and meats, hosting of barbeques, and Indian Chinese dishes becomes the go to menu especially for the rainy winter nights. Also seen is the sudden increase in tea consumption. Tea would disappear at lighting speed from canteens with everyone ready to try on every type which is available. From pomegranate green teas to Taj, Lipton and Ctc everyone would stock up on this winter essential. Winters would also call for sporting events, Sundays would mean for croquet tournaments, badmintons doubles, and card games would now shift to the gardens instead of the card rooms in the mess. Also of note is the constant musical chairs people play with the sun in the gardens to make sure they get maximum dose ofVitaminD. Winters would also make for discussions on innumerable topics over never ending bouts of tea, remembering various high altitude tenures markedly the Siachen, of how Maggy can be best made with minimum resources and maximum taste, of various remedies of frost bites to chill blains. Winters would also call for those familiar kerosene odor, and maintenance of the bukharis and Karo heaters. Making sure they all work and generate enough heat to keep the circulation going.The winter brings it all back
