By Darshana Jamindar
In Gujarat, it has become common to enjoy Dusshera with a combination of Salty-Sweet dish of Fafda-Jalebi. It’s an obsession of Gujaratis. Fafda-Jalebis delicious combination, are served hot. Popular Farsan makers get busy in preparation and sale of Fafda Jalebi using special pandals. Fafda is sprinkled with pepper powder and served hot with Kadhi (curry). They are served with fried chillies and chatni made up of green Papaya.Jalebi is available in Oil and Ghee. Fafda Jalebi is served hot to get complete taste. So its preparation goes on parallel are throughout the day against its sales and consumption.
Fafda Jalebi gives an annual business of Rs 15 crores or more to sweet and farshan shop owners only on Dusshera. Jalebi in Ghee, per kg costs between Rs 650 to Rs 750 and Fafda, costs between Rs 450 per kg. Fafda Jalebi treat has no impact of price rise on Gujaratis. Fafda is more popular in Saurashtra.
Some Foodies start consuming Fafda jalebi from Dusshera dawn or from the night of last day of Navratri, to get fresh lot of Fafda Jalebi and to avoid standing in long queues. Long queues are seen at Popular Farsan makers with average waiting from 30 to 60 minutes. Generally, there two queues firstly to make payment and get token and then get their desired Fafda Jalebi.
Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Surendranagar and many others are consuming Fafda Jalebis.
But long waiting, or every year 30% rising prices of Fafda Jalebi does not prevent them from enjoying Fafda Jalebi.
Dussehra also known as Vijaya Dashami is a Hindu festival is celebrated due to victory of good over evil. On this day, government offices, school and colleges remains closed in India, which is marked on the 10th day of the bright half ,Shukla Paksha of the month of Ashvin, according to the Hindu calendar. Dussehra also mark of nine days long Navratri Festival.
Every year, effigy of Ravana is burnt on eve of Dusshera.
AMC Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation‘s health team collects samples from some prominent Fafda Jalebi outlets to check on the quality.
Historial Significance
On Dussehra celebrations are made by Performances of the Ramlila , a short version of the epic Ramayana in Northern India. In Gujarat people enjoy, delicious combination of Fafda and Jalebi, one chaat like dish and a sweet dish, combination. In Karnataka, a large festival and procession including the goddess Chamundeshwari on a throne mounted on elephants in the town of Mysore. The blessing of household and work-related tools, such as books, computers, cooking pans and vehicles in the state of Karnataka. In Bengal, preparation of special foods, including luchi (deep fried flat bread) and alur dom (deep fried spiced potato snacks) is prepared.
As per Hindus mythology it is lucky to start a new venture, project or journey on Dussehra. They may also exchange gifts of leaves from the Shami tree as a symbol of the story of the Pandavas brothers’ exile in the Mahabharata stories.
