I feel compelled to travel after looking at this picture.. That’s the well-known Doodh Puff woman of Udvada. Formerly seen only during the winter months, she is now reportedly seen every other afternoon in Udvada village. She does not hold a glass of frothy Lassi in her hand. It looks like that. But this is Doodh Puff. It is one of the main attractions for non-Paris people like me to visit this ancient coastal town.
Udvada
Zoroastrians consider Udvada to be equivalent to Catholics’ Vatican City. The holiest of holies. In the heart of the village stands the Iranshah Atashbehram, standing proud and monument-like. It is a fire temple. This is a faith of fire-worshipping people. The holy fire, which was consecrated over 1,300 years ago when Zoroastrians fled religious persecution in Persia by coming to India, still burns inside the Iranshah.
Despite my lack of faith, I enjoy visiting Udvada, a sleepy town on Gujarat’s palm-fringed coast. It’s best to go on a Sunday. The marketplace is alive. Fisherwomen haggle over the price of Mullet with Parsi housewives. This is the Parsi fish Boi. Later in the day, it will be fried after having been dusted with rava and cooked in tangy curries.
For special customers, the butcher saves offal, liver, kidneys, hearts, and gizzards from his production to use in the Aleti-Paleti at home. In the village, small windows open up in homes, and little old men pop out to sell sandalwood and homemade sweets, biscuits and other goodies. The widows of Navsari make pickles to sell. The bakery puffs out smoke. Which means buttery Macaroons are ready.
A man pedallin a bicycle sells hand-churned fruit ice cream around the village. And there’s the Doodh Puff woman. People use an earthen pot and cloth to store sweetened milk on the terrace at night.. Early morning, people collect heavy with dew and whip to make a light, airy, cloud-like puff. Cardamom, nutmeg, and a few almonds have been garnished on a glass of chilled, sweetened milk. Available only in Udvada. That’s why I want to go.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, as well as columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, as well as Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. He has interviewed almost every famous person. In the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. In a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work, Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward.
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