Ugadi and its six tastes

Told in English, Telugu.

It was early morning in a little village near the Godavari river. The sky was turning pink, and the koel bird was singing in the mango tree.

Chinni opened her eyes. Today was Ugadi!

Amma was drawing a big muggu at the door. Nanna was tying fresh mango leaves above it. And Ammamma was sitting in the kitchen with six little bowls in front of her.

"Ammamma, what are you making?" asked Chinni.

Ammamma smiled. "Come, sit with me, my little one. Today is a new beginning. Long, long ago, on this very day, Lord Brahma began making the whole world. He made the sky and the earth, the rivers and the trees, the birds and the animals. So every year, on Ugadi, we start fresh, just like a new world."

"And what are these bowls for?"

"These are for Ugadi pachadi. It has six tastes. Shall we make it together?"

Chinni clapped her hands. "Yes!"

Ammamma picked up the first bowl. "This is bellam. It is sweet. Sweet is for the happy days, when we laugh and play."

Chinni licked a tiny bit. "Mmm! Sweet!"

Ammamma picked up the second bowl. "These are neem flowers. They are bitter. Bitter is for the sad days, when we feel a little low."

Chinni tasted one tiny flower. She made a funny face. "Ammamma, that is so bitter!"

Ammamma laughed. "Yes. But wait and see."

Then she said softly, "A little sweet, a little bitter, all together, life is better."

Next came tamarind. "This is sour. Sour is for the hard days, when things are tricky."

Then a pinch of salt. "Salty is for the days that are full of fun and new things to learn."

Then a tiny bit of green chilli. "Spicy is for the days when we feel cross. Even those days come, and even those days go."

Last of all, she cut a raw green mango into small pieces. "Tangy is for surprises, the days when something unexpected happens."

Chinni counted on her fingers. "Sweet, bitter, sour, salty, spicy, tangy. Six tastes!"

Ammamma put everything into one big bowl and stirred it slowly with a spoon. Chinni stirred too, round and round.

"A little sweet, a little bitter, all together, life is better." Can you say it with me? A little sweet, a little bitter, all together, life is better.

Then Ammamma gave Chinni one spoonful of pachadi.

Chinni tasted it. She tasted the sweet. She tasted the sour. She tasted just a little bit of bitter. But mixed together, it was lovely!

"Ammamma, the bitter is not so bitter now!"

"That is right, my dear," said Ammamma, and she hugged her close. "When all the tastes are together, it tastes good. Life is like that too. There will be happy days and sad days, easy days and hard days. But when our family is together, every day can be good."

Amma and Nanna came into the kitchen. Everyone took a spoonful of pachadi. Everyone smiled.

Outside, the koel sang again in the mango tree, as if it was saying happy Ugadi to the whole village.

And that night, as Chinni lay in bed, she whispered softly to herself, "A little sweet, a little bitter, all together, life is better."

Goodnight, little one. Happy Ugadi.