The Perfect Day in Lalton Khurd
By Mehnaz Grewal
Modeled after Anthony Bourdain’s “The Perfect Day in Amritsar”
Lalton Khurd is a village of around 1,436 people somewhere in the middle of Punjab, India. It is located in the Ludhiana district of Punjab, the largest city in Punjab, India. As are many Punjabi villages, it is home to farmers, families, animals, and humble homes. Sprawling green fields and freely roaming cows decorate the landscape. Here is what an ideal day in Lalton Khurd may look like.
1. Amrit vela
a. Before the sun rises, much of the village is awake, doing their first prayers of the morning, either in their homes or at the gurdwara that is a short walk away. Cows are milked, livestock is fed, and the first cups of cha of the day are made. Incense is lit and aromas waft around the village.
2. Morning
a. As daylight sets in, children are sent to school, and adults and elders begin preparing breakfast. Those who have work, head to work. Those who need to tend to their farms, tend to their farms.
3. Afternoon
a. After preparing, eating, and cleaning up the afternoon meal of roti and some sort of sabji, villagers roam about and flit into one another’s homes as the day gets brighter. Manjas, or Indian straw beds, are laid out for lounging. Folks head to each other’s homes for sweets, snacks, and to exchange both happy and sad news. One may even find a group of villagers down the road at the sath, playing card games.
4. Evening
a. As the evening is beginning to settle in, many head to milk their cows again. Those coming home from work outside of the village or at the farms will enjoy a piping hot cup of evening tea. Many head to the gurdwara for the evening rehras sahib prayer. The children run around and play games after school, including the bantay game, played by tossing bright green marbles into dirt indents.
5. Night
a. As evening settles in, some settle into their chairs with a warm blanket or shawl wrapped around them, sipping their nightly milk flavored with light spices. Some may catch up on their favorite Punjabi or Hindi serials on the TV. Others may listen to news on the radio. Some men may have a nighttime drink and walk around the village. Many will do the nightly prayer of kirtan sohila before settling into bed, a well deserved rest after another day in the pind.
About the Author
Mehnaz is a UC Berkeley student studying Political Science with a minor in Public Policy. She is from Elk Grove, California, where she developed a profound appreciation for the rich culture of the Punjabi migrant community in Northern California. Mehnaz also serves as a Senator in the Associated Students of California, representing the Middle Eastern, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian student community. When she’s not involved in Punjabi-Sikh and MEMSSA community advocacy, Mehnaz loves to take film photos, ride her bike, and try new coffee shops and cafes. Some of Mehnaz’s policy interests are Immigration and Civil Rights.
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