In the heart of downtown Rochester, we celebrated the festival of “UTSAV-Celebration of Colors” at the Peace Plaza. I am a Research Fellow in the Department of Hematology who enjoys dancing and participating in the cultural activities in the community. Indian Cultural Association of Minnesota (ICAM) organized one such event called UTSAV where we gathered to celebrate the color festivities along with music and dance. As I have been actively choreographing and performing dances from kindergarten to medical school, I decided to participate in the lively Flash Mob group dance, for the very first time. From practicing at the community temple to perfecting the steps in the park, I enjoyed each rehearsal with laughter and learning while building new friendships. Men, women and teenagers who participated thoroughly enjoyed performing while bringing the sense of unity that demonstrated a spirit of togetherness.

Celebrating the festival of colors, in this annual event helped me connect with the people of the town in the ways I had never imagined. Finding joy in the places I had least expected, while doing the thing that I loved the most was the best combination. We participated in the other events at the UTSAV, such as the 5K run and fun games like Spin the wheel, ICAM Photo booth, etc. The food-stalls encircled the downtown area which brought diverse cuisines together at one place. I thoroughly enjoyed the aura of the place that echoed the music played at UTSAV and wished we had more of such events in the future.

Rochester Hindi School Open House  

After a very successful first year of Rochester Hindi School (RHS), ICAM hosted the Open House for the second year at Foster Arend Park on August 26^th 2023. The RHS has been started in collaboration with SILC, the School of India for Languages and Culture based in the Twin Cities. The RHS provides a great platform for kids living in the US to gain basic communication skills to connect with extended families back home and get closer to India by participating in various Indian events we host throughout the year. The older kids who took the Hindi USA exams in the summer were felicitated at the open house.

Saumya Dubey, a senior at Mayo High School completed the final year of the Hindi USA curriculum; congratulations to her!! The team of previous Hindi schools in Rochester supported her to begin this journey, and current Hindi school staff supported her to complete this milestone. ICAM and the RHS family are proud of this accomplishment! Saumya is now planning to give back to her community by volunteering her time to teach Hindi at RHS

We are still accepting registrations for the 2023-2024 school year for children ages 5-17 years. For additional information, please visit our website: https://icamn.org/education.

Along with the open house ICAM hosted its annual volunteer picnic. ICAM appreciates its volunteers who take a lot of time to organize all its events during the year. Our very successful events would not have been possible without their hard work and dedication. Everyone enjoyed the delicious food catered by Royal Indian cuisine and the warm summer day playing games in the park.

Every year, on the auspicious occasion of Indian Independence Day, “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” is celebrated in different places in the United States on the week of 15th August. This year, the Cultural Association of Bengalees in Rochester (CABERI), Minnesota, organized India Day, filled with a number of events on 19^th August, the following Saturday of Indian Independence Day, at Good Shepherd Church. Keeping the theme of Indian Independence Day, “Nation first, Always first,” the entire decoration and cultural events were arranged. Around 200 people gathered at this event to celebrate India Day from different parts of Rochester.

The day started with a “Sit and Draw competition” for kids themed on “Independence Day in your mind” and/or “Incredible India.” All the kids did a great job and amazed the judges with their innovative thoughts. The cultural event started with the US national anthem, followed by India's national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana.' Moving on, a series of performances showcased the diverse and rich traditions of India. The audience witnessed the cultural heritage of different states, represented by mesmerizing dance performances, patriotic songs, and instruments that reminded everyone of the struggles and triumphs of our nation's journey toward independence.

The cultural event ended with a grand fashion show where the participants represented different states or cities of India. About thirty families participated in the fashion show, walked on the ramp, and stunned us with their beautiful attire from different states. Besides, Indian events are always incomplete without the world-famous Indian food. There were food stalls with homemade Indian food ranging from local street food (fuchka/ golgappa, chatpata chaat) to our ultimate comfort Biriyani. All those “Ghar ka khana” added some extra charm to the event. The day was concluded with a promise in everyone’s mind to meet again next year to celebrate our very precious Independence Day.

On the morning of June 28th, you may have seen a huge crowd of people heading into the sports arena of RCTC, if you were wondering what all the hustle and bustle was about, it was the Eid day. Muslims of Rochester celebrated the second most significant holiday commemorating Prophet Abraham's sacrifice of his son Ismael to God. This multi-day holiday that falls with the Hajj starts with families celebrating the holiday by getting together in the morning and driving to the congregation for prayer. After the prayers, greetings are exchanged with family members, friends, and even strangers. Friends and family members visit each other or meet at the central location. As it was a working day, many people who could not take the day off attended the congregation prayer at RCTC, exchanged greetings, and returned to work to celebrate in the evening or the next few days.

In order to bring the community together Rochester Muslim Community Circle or RMCC organized an event at Essex Park on June 30th. RMCC was established in 2010. Its main goal is to establish a welcoming community center for all to enjoy. It has been active in organizing and participating in many interfaith events in Rochester. Even though the weather forecast was for some thunderstorms still the event went on, and kids had extra fun bouncing on the inflatables and enjoyed their favorite Pizza and sweets. Almost 250 people of all ages attended the great event. Many families either had a family member performing Hajj or knew a friend or some acquaintance who was performing Hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Everyone prayed for the safe return of all the pilgrims. This year, almost 2.5 million Muslims from all over the world performed Hajj. Under the new Hajj policy of the Indian Government, priority was given to the elderly, disabled, and women. Almost 175,000 people from all over India performed Hajj in 2023, this is the highest number of pilgrims, surpassing the previous record of 140,000 in 2019.

The Indian Association of Minnesota (IAM) celebrated its annual signature event, “India Fest" on August 12, 2023, at the State Capitol grounds in Saint Paul. The program commenced with hoisting the American and Indian flags and singing the national anthem. This was followed by a parade of the regional and non-profit organizations representing their respective organizations and displaying their strength and traditions. It was a beautiful day to experience India in a day visiting the bazaars, enjoying the cultural performances, and dining on mouthwatering Indian specialties.

Onam, the grand harvest festival of Kerala, is a 10-day-long celebration that falls during the month of August or September (Chingamasam, the first month of the Malayalam calendar). Though Onam has its origins in Hindu legends, it is celebrated with great passion by all communities in Kerala, making it a true celebration of harmony and prosperity. Onam in Kerala is a time of fun and festivities galore. Families come together and celebrate by decorating homes with flower rangolis (Athapookalam), buying new clothes (Onakodi), making of an elaborate meal on the 10^th and final day (Onasadhya), attending community events- grand parades, tiger dances (Pulikali), boat races (Vallamkali), elegant dance performances by ladies in traditional attire (Thiruvathirakali) and so much more!!

When Onam comes along it stirs up a festive mood in Malayalis all over the world, and the Malayalis in Rochester were not immune to its effects. The Malayali Association of Rochester (MALAR) celebrated Onam on the 10^th of September this year. An all-encompassing celebration that started with laying of the Athapookalam by the kids, the lighting of the lamp by the community elders, prayer song, and then the main event, the grand feast. “The Onasadhya”, a multi-course vegetarian meal was made up of an amazing lineup of 22 items (normally 26 or more!), all made by the community members, and served on banana leaves. This lip-smacking meal was followed by a cultural showcase of the talents in the community - Thiruvathirakali by the ladies decked in their beautiful cream and gold attire, dances by the children in traditional pattu pavada, beautiful nostalgic and peppy Malayalam songs sung by talented singers. It was a day of meeting up with old and getting to know new families connected by their traditions and language, of children, growing up away from their roots getting a glimpse into their culture. A day of fun, laughter, good food and good memories!

A black and white picture from my childhood nudged me to reach out to a Malayali friend in town, Nezmi Najeeb. This picture had my mother’s friend Ramla Aunty holding my favorite childhood sweet dish. Ramla Aunty used to serve this when we were invited for the Iftar dinner. Nezmi identified this dish as Kaipola or Kayapola also known as steamed plantain cake, an authentic dish from north Kerala.

Kerala, the Southwestern coastal strip of India, was generally known as Malabar coast until the arrival of British in India. This region has historically been a major spice exporter and is still referred to as the "Spice Garden of India”. In present days, Malabar region comprises of Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasargode and Wyanad in North Kerala. This region is known for its unique cuisines which is a blend of flavors from Arabia, Europe and Africa integrating with the rich and distinctive native flavors and spices. It is interesting to note that India’s first cake was baked in Thalassery, a town in north Kerala in 1883. Mampally Babu of Thalassery established the first bakery in India – the Royal Biscuit Factory.

Kaipola is a sweet combination of eggs and bananas. Nezmi said, “Cheechi (Malayalam for sister), this can be made at any time of the year as ripe plantains are available throughout the year in Kerala.” This flourless cake is served on every occasion - wedding reception, religious festivals or just at chai time. In Kerala, the Muslim community usually prepares this dish during the iftars, or the meals eaten after sunset during Ramdan. Nezmi and Amjith make it during the Ramadan and as dessert when they invite their friends to dinner at their home in Rochester. Their kids also enjoy this as an after-school snack.

As we were chatting, Nezmi picked two ripe bananas from her kitchen fruit bowl and set about to prepare the dish. As the aroma of the banana combined with vanilla and sugar wafted through the kitchen, her little ones came running in. The kids helped themselves to wedges of the sweetness and I enjoyed a piece with hot masala tea!

Nezmi followed this simple traditional recipe to prepare Kaipola:

Ingredients:

• Banana – 2 ripe bananas (2 ½ cups cubed)
• Egg - 4
• Sugar – 1/3^rd cup
• Cashew - 1/3^rd cup
• Raisins - 1/3^rd cup
• Milk – 2 tbsp
• Ghee-3 to 4 tsp
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Salt – a pinch

Method:

1. Heat a pan on the stove top. Add 1 tsp ghee. Fry the cashews and raisins and keep them aside.
2. In the same pan, add 2 tsp ghee and shallow fry the banana cubes till golden brown.
3. In a blender, add the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla essence and blend for a minute.
4. Mix the blended mixture with the fried banana, cashews, and raisins.
5. Heat a pan, add 1 tsp ghee, and pour in the entire mixture. Cover and cook/steam for 10 minutes on low flame. Flip over and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Transfer it to a flat dish. Cut into wedges and serve hot!

Enjoy this recipe at home and send us some pictures.