Green and Saffron

By Shreya Prasad

As I finish my office work, the beautiful aroma of Loban engulfs me: my mother, who has just finished up her evening pooja, lights up Loban. This enchanting aroma calms me even after a long day at the office. Just then, I decided to look into it, and it's amazing how similar we are (the green and saffron colors).

And then, I am surprised that this is the same Loban that has been used to fumigate masjids even since the times of the Prophet Mohammed, and it is also used in Navaratras to appease the Goddess. The word ‘Loban" is Arabic. Well, to be honest, I cannot enlist the benefits; there are way too many (Google). It helps in treating depression, which is even backed up by scientific studies. Well, this article is not about Loban. In case you are wondering, this is about something else.

When I researched, I noted that most of the things used during the Pooja originated outside India. Start with the simple Sendha Namak (a type of rock salt), which has its origins in the Sindh region of Pakistan. It is immensely popular during the fast because of its numerous benefits. Which I believe we can Google right away again:P (Disclaimer: Sendha Namak does not have iodine. Make sure you do not completely replace it with conventional table salt.) In 2015, India imported Sendha Namak worth 22.7 crores from Pakistan. As we are all aware, the trade between the two countries has not been resumed yet. But yes, before 2015, we all ate "Namak from Dushman ke Zameen se"? Ugh doesn’t seem nice, right?

Well, there is more to go. Copper, the metal which has numerous benefits which we shunned after the knowledgeable English people informed us that plastic is fantastic, is exported from Pakistan. Not a significant share, though. So, the next time you are buying lotas for Pooja, ask the shopkeeper where the copper comes from. I am sure he will be quick to judge you.

And for all those skincareoholics (New Word Alert ), Multani Mitti: My personal favourite comes from Multan, Pakistan. So, are we different or the same? (the Mitti—I am sure Multani Mitti from Barmer, Rajasthan, India is more beneficial as I am an Indian.)To end this, I remember a dialogue from Bajiro Mastani's movie, "Green is the colour of Goddess Durga, she wears it to signify prosperity and so green is the colour of Islam." So, should you hate green or love green color? I love Green! But in Islam, the wearing of saffron is prohibited saying that peace shall not come to those who wear it. But saffron the spice originated in the Middle East. So what? Hindu Sadhus wear it. With that, I take your leave to enjoy some nonsense chick flick on Netflix.

By Shreya Prasad