In a garden of memories

Childhood celebrations

Festivals like ‘Ugadi’ are always repositories of memories. The most loveable of them is going back to one’s childhood when all the world was innocence unalloyed. Celebrities are no exception as they recall the memories of all the fun they had while celebrating ‘Ugadi’ as children.

 A family affair
Yash, actor

“As a child, I was given an oil bath every ‘Ugadi’. I never liked these baths and every time I tried to run away my grandfather, father and mother would catch me and forcefully give me the traditional oil bath. I would spend the whole day relishing the many dishes prepared by my mother who started preparing in advance. Even to this day, my mother makes my favourite dishes and ‘Mavinakayi Chitranna’ tops the list. I usually travel on work during most festivals, but fortunately this year, I am not shooting and will be home.”

Flowers galore
Rachita Ram, actor

“After ‘Sankranti’, ‘Ugadi’ is the next big festival for us. From my childhood, we would decorate our home with flowers, especially jasmine because my mother loves the smell. I am very fond of mangoes, so my mother would make dishes, including sweets, using them. We don’t make anything spicy on the day. My father, sister and mother would all get into the kitchen and they would make a special dish. I don’t cook and only eat whatever is made by others.” 
‘Obbattu’ days
Anu Prabhakar, actor

“During ‘Ugadi’, my mother would mix ‘Bevu Bella’ and I didn’t like eating it but I was forced to eat it as it is a part of the tradition. As a child, I would sit beside my mother Gayathri and watch her make the ‘Obbattu’ filling that she would grind on the stone rather than in the mixer. She would then very delicately roll out the ‘Obbattu’. We also have a huge mango tree in our garden (which my mother planted when I was a child) and I look forward to the ‘Mavinakayi Chitranna’ and dishes made from those mangoes.”   Playing cricket
Ramesh Aravind, actor

“My childhood memory of any festival is it being a school holiday. I would make plans to play cricket and other games with my friends soon after the rituals were over. Now the games have become a thing of the past but the food, rituals and family get togethers remain.”