“Ya,
chole are ready and I will fry hot bhaturas for you after we all do hawan and
you do charity.” This would be my mother’s reply as she was always been an
early riser.
My
mother’s response would always astir my celebration mood.
For
every occasion my menu was fixed – chole bhature. Not only that but whenever I
eat out my menu was already decided – chole bhature. I did not like to go in
restaurants that did not serve chole bhature. Although I loved to try chole
bhature in different restaurants from dhabas to luxurious hotels.
As
my age increased, the size and quantity of bhaturas decreased on my plate. With
God’s grace, the quantity of donation of chole bhature improved with each
passing year.
According
to Shrimad DeviBhagwat Mahapuran अन्नदानं
महादानं (annadaanam
mahadaanam) which means donating foodstuffs is the greatest charity and अन्नदानात्परं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति। (aanadaanatperam daanm na bhutam n
bhavesyate) There is no charity as grand as donation of foodstuffs, neither in the
past nor in the future. Because of generous believer in these philosophies, I love
to donate edible items as much as possible.
My
daily charity includes feeding birds, squirrels and stray animals like cow,
bull and dog. I collect my organic kitchen waste like vegetable peels, green
leftovers, broccoli stalks and feed stray animals with them. On every weekend,
I cook ladoos or halwa to feed stray dogs. It is pleasing as well as sometimes embarrassing
that five or six stray dogs always escort me whenever I visit a local market. While
travelling in car whenever I notice a group of monkeys, I feed them with
fruits, roasted channa or any other edible item that I am carrying in my bag at
that time. I feel it is our duty to feed them, as there are no fruiting trees
left on the roadside and there is not much food for them in the fields.
I
even love to feed different species with my hands. Surprisingly, I had fed
biscuits to tree pie on my palm. I had fed baby nilgai with chapatti, rabbit with
Armenian cucumber and langoor with roasted channa. I have also fed herbivorous
animals like camel, horse, donkey, elephant, goat, sheep etc. It is my ardent
wish to feed tiger on my palm. ;)
In
the winter season, when there is ample of organic vegetables from farm, I
prepare different types of pickles and then gladly distribute them among my
employees. I love to prepare meals like puri, chole, halwa after completing any Sadhana especially Devi Sadhana and distribute them in my locality. Whenever I
eat out in a restaurant, I always bear my driver’s meal expenses. I generously
donate on various occasions in bhandaras in the temples so that the
nutritious and delicious food reaches even to those who cannot afford it. On
solar eclipse, Diwali, Makarsankranti or any other festival, I prefer to distribute
fruits to janitors and sweepers.
Tula
daan means charity equivalent to one’s weight. From my birth until today, my
weight is measured and foodstuffs of equal weight are donated to needy person(s).
The optimistic thing about this daan is that my weight is still on increasing
trend. ;)
So today, is the day for feeding others with chole bhature. It is my humble request with everyone to celebrate 3rd December after my death as chole bhature day! :)
