Sankranti is about celebrating traditions with love: Idhika Paul

Actress Idhika Paul can never resist Pithe puli – in an exclusive shoot with CT, she tells us why Poush Sankranti is so close to her heart.
It’s a festival that symbolises the harmonious relationship between humans and nature and that itself calls for celebration: Idhika
I never consider pithe to be extra calories; it’s an emotion, says Idhika

Idhika Paul believes that Sankranti is our way of thanking Mother Nature for her endless abundance. “Sadly, nowadays we often take that blessing for granted,” she says during a conversation with us. The actress goes on to discuss her plans for Sankranti, what the festival means to her, the first Sankranti without her grandfather, and more. Read on...

A homely tradition of making payesh and pithe
We prepare payesh and pithe on Poush Sankranti at home. We start the day by offering prayers to the Almighty, after which my mother, grandmother, and I wear new clothes and prepare pithe together. We’ll all miss Dadu, who used to help us grate the coconuts. This year, I have to do that (smiles). Preparing the pithe is a two-to-three-day process, as my mother personally buys all the ingredients. She believes that the pithe tastes best when made with Nolen gur, and mixed with love.

‘In our family, every traditional festival is special’
In our home, we celebrate every festival, so it saddens me when I see friends celebrating Christmas and New Year, but not honouring our own traditional festivals, such as Sankranti. I live with my parents and grandparents, though I lost my grandfather last year. He always said Sankranti represents an auspicious time for purification. He also told me that on Makar Sankranti, Lord Vishnu defeated the demon Sankarasura, symbolising the end of negativity and a time to prosper. For me, Sankranti is a celebration of the victory of
good over evil. For us, every festival is a time for family bonding, along with special food, which is unique to each celebration
We believe making pithe with freshly harvested rice and offering it to Goddess Lakshmi brings happiness and prosperity

‘Diet takes a back seat on Sankranti’
I have a sweet tooth, and just can’t resist indulging in sweets, especially pithe. There are very few things that makes me happier than savouring pithe. On Sankranti, I let my diet take a back seat and indulge in the homemade pithe without guilt.
But come the next day, you’ll find me in the gym, sweating it out for more than two hours to shed the extra calories. However, I don’t mind the extra effort as I never consider pithe extra calories; it’s an emotion.

At home, we’re making Doodh puli, Patishapta (with coconut and jaggery filling, no kheer), Puli pithe, and Bhapa pithe with Nolen gur

Pics: Sayantan Dutta; makeup: Biplab Mondal; hair: Bina Nath; styled by: Ayan Hore; Location: Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor, Jadavpur