Veranda Tales-Nanamma's bellapatlu
Storytelling has been an integral part of my life since childhood. I grew up listening to stories during the hot summer evenings and nights with my cousins. Mothers and grandmothers would gather all of us children for story time. It was usually pitch dark except for a very faint light coming from the flickering candle. Power cuts were as frequent as the hot and humid summer days. We all spread out on a cool concrete floor or on bamboo mats on the veranda intently listening to fascinating stories about kings, queens, princes, princesses, and peasants alike. Stories about love, life, families, and people entertained and taught us life skills. These stories transported us to distant worlds which were strange yet familiar. Often the same story told by two people sounded different as storytellers added new twists and turns stamping their personal style and flair to the stories.
Storytelling wasn’t limited to summer evenings and bedtime. I was surrounded by adults that didn’t pass up an opportunity to share their wisdom using the art of storytelling. The rich and vibrant oral traditions include songs, poems, stories, and సామెతలు (sametalu are proverbs in Telugu). Men and women sing songs as they work in the fields, grind grains and spices and other daily chores at their homes. Stories are often used to teach important life lessons, interpersonal skills, and survival skills.
My parents and I would visit Nanamma (paternal grandmother in Telugu) over the weekends when we lived close to where she lived. Her place was an hour by bus from home. On one of those visits, my parents left me in Nanamma’s care to run some errands. She made these delicious బెల్లపట్లు (Bellapatlu - Wheat pancakes with Jaggery). I was rather shy to ask for a third one after stuffing my face with two of them. When she offered I politely said no thank you and regretted right away. What was I thinking? After going back home, I asked Amma to make them. I didn’t remember the name. I tried to describe them as best as I could. We didn’t have smartphones or Zoom back then to call Nanamma and get the recipe. I had to wait until my next visit to see Nanamma. Amma asked her about the recipe and told her how I was too shy to ask for more and forgot the name. Nanamma started laughing and said “Oh this is like “తోప సామెత (Topa Sameta)” and the story followed.
తోప సామెత (Topa Sameta) Man and porridge
A newly married man, Mallayya went to his in-laws' village on business. He wasn’t a wealthy man and didn’t own a bullock cart or bulls. So, he walked all the way hopping over and wading through streams. He attended to his business and went to see his in-laws. His mother-in-law made a delicious meal out of red and purple Ragi flour which he thoroughly enjoyed. He wanted to know the name of the dish he liked. She told him the name was తోప (Topa) and that his wife knew how to make it. He thanked her and started walking back to his home.
He didn’t want to forget the name of the dish and started reciting “తోప (Topa)” as he walked home. He was doing great and made it to the last stream he had to cross. As he hopped over it, a bystander said “ఇసర బజ్జా (Aisarabozza)” which is a Telugu expression for Bravo. After that Mallayya started saying “ఇసర బజ్జా (Aisarabozza)” and forgot తోప (Topa) completely. He came home and asked his wife to make “Aisarabozza”. His wife didn’t know how to make it. Hearing that he was very disappointed. His wife noticed he looked very tired and said “your face looks like తోప (Topa)” with all that walking in the Sun. Get some rest”. Then Mallayya remembered the name, his wife made him తోప (Topa) and he thoroughly enjoyed a couple of bowls of yummy తోప (Topa).
తోప సామెత
కొత్త అల్లుడు, మల్లయ్య పనిమీద అత్తగారి గ్రామానికి వెళ్ళాడు. మల్లయ్యకి అంత ఆస్థి లేదు. ఎద్దులు, ఎద్దుల బండి లేవు. అందుచేత, మల్లయ్య నడిచి ప్రయాణము చేశాడు. దారిలో చిన్న చిన్న కాలువలు దాటి వెళ్ళాడు. పని అయిపోయిన తర్వాత,, అత్తగారి ఇంటికి వెళ్ళాడు. అత్తగారు భోజనానికి తోప చేసి పెట్టింది. వేడి వేడి తోప చాలా బావుంది. మల్లయ్య తృప్తిగా తిన్నాడు. అత్తగారు, నాకు మీరు పెట్టిన భోజనం చాలా నచ్చింది. ఈ భోజనం పేరు ఏంటి అని అడిగాడు. అత్తగారికి చాలా సంతోషమైంది. దీని పేరు తోప అంటారు, నీ భార్య తోప చాల బాగా చేస్తుంది అన్నది. మల్లయ్య పేరు మర్చిపోతానేమో అని భయపడి, తిరుగు ప్రయాణమంతా తోప , తోప అంటూ నడిచాడు. కాలవ దాటి , ఐసర బజ్జ అన్నాడు. ఆ తర్వాత, తోప పేరు మర్చిపోయి, ఐసర్ బజ్జ, ఐసర బజ్జ అంటూ ఇంటికి వెళ్ళాడు. మల్లయ్య భార్య కాళ్ళు కడుక్కోడానికి చెంబుతో నీళ్లు తెచ్చింది. కాళ్ళు కడుక్కుని, ప్రయాణము సంగతులు చెప్పాడు. ఆ తర్వాత, ఐసర్ బజ్జ చెయ్యమని అడిగాడు. మల్లయ్య భార్యకి ఐసర్ బజ్జ చెయ్యటం రాదు. అది విని మల్లయ్య, అత్తయ్య నువ్వు ఐసర్ బజ్జ బాగా చేస్తావని చెప్పింది అన్నాడు. మల్లయ్య భార్య నేను అమ్మ దగ్గరికి వెళ్ళినప్పుడు అడుగుతాను అని, నీ మొహమంతా ఎండ తగిలి తోప లాగా అయిపోయింది, స్నానం చేసి పడుకో అనింది. మల్లయ్యకి అప్పుడు తోప గుర్తు వచ్చింది. భార్య మల్లయ్యకి తోప చేసి పెట్టింది. మల్లయ్య చాలా సంతోషంగా తిన్నాడు.
Whenever I make Wheat pancakes with Jaggery, I remember Nanamma and this story she told me. Pancakes taste all the more delicious with this memory.