In search of Nalen Gurer Sandesh

In search of Nalen Gurer Sandesh. City people are now crazy for the sweetmeats flavoured with Nalen Gur. Winter has come. It is the season for enjoying the days in the soothing temperateness of the Sun anywhere - be it in the crowdy or lonely sea beach edged by palms and casuarinas or just to relax in a space where peace resides. It is the season for various flowers, fruits and vegetables, a season for picnic or for a short trip in the weekend amid the places abundant with scenic natural beauties under the clear sky in the soft sunlight to get comfort from shivering cold. Besides all these pleasant things in the winter none can ignore the yummy taste of Nalen Gurer Sandesh, Rasagollas and many other such sweets. Almost all the people are crazy for the sweetmeat with the falvour of Nalen Gur (molasses prepared from the sap of the date palm) in this season. The Sandesh with the browny pink tinge is very dear to all and sundry. Even the people suffering from high blood sugar cannot resist themselves to have at least a piece in this season most avidly. Some people are so fond of Nalen Gur in its liquid form that they take it regularly with chapaties or luchies or with many other things. Local people who prepare say, “The juice from those trees on the first day of the renewed incision into the date trees for its juice after a respite of three days is very tasty and people in large like to take the juice here in the morning. We sell Rs. 5/- per glass. The  molasses prepared from this type of juices is also very nice and highly flavoured. ”             Come to this City and see almost all the sweet shops like Subhash Sweets, Sweet Corner, Ruma Sweets, Rabin Sweets, Sweet Palace, Saha Sweets are selling plethora of sweets like Sandesh, Monda, Bhapa Sandesh, Kancha Golla with the flavour of Nalen Gur.  In some shops people are to make them queue up for a long time to have their desired mouthwatering items in this season. In almost all the Sweet Shops, the rate of such sweets is also very cheap in comparison to other places. The minimum price is Rs. 5/- and maximum is Rs. 10/- that is within the reach of everybody. Durgapur people as a whole say, “The rate of sweets in Durgapur is too cheap than in Kolkata or any other places. In Kolkata no sweets are available below Rs. 5 to 10 whereas in many shops in Durgapur sweets at just Re.3/- is also available now. Forget about the rate of sweets in other Metros like Bangalore or Mumbai.”             Nani Gopal  Saha, owner of Saha Sweets, Gurudwara Road, Benachity says, “We sell Nalen Gurer Tal Sansh – ‘Jalbhara Sandesh’ like the famous items in Chandannagore just at Rs. 15/- per piece and people are very fond of this item in our shop. Beside we sell varieties of sweetmeats of Nalen Gur. ”             Nalen Gur are coming from local areas like Purusha, Angadpur, Dhandabag, Sarpi and many such nearer places where people make this Gur making temporary tents for two three months there. But the demand of Nalen Gur from ‘Basirhat’ and ‘Khejuri’ at Midnapore is very high in Durgapur Markets. The demand of Nalen Gurer Patali for making Payesh and other palatable items is also not negligible says Nabagopal Kundu, the owner of R. N. Kundu & Sons, Benachity.             Tapan Sen, Manager of Subhash Sweets says, “We are running this Sweet Shop since the inception of this City. We sell variety of sweets. Moreover, our Singara is also very popular in Durgapur. Come in Evening any day, you must have to wait for at least half an hour to have our Singaras. Previously the people were very passionate here to have only the Nalen Gurer Sandesh but now the demand of Rasagollas with the flavour of Nalen Gur is also high. None can ignore the delicious taste of the spongy Rosogullas of light orange colour with the flavour of Nalen Gur now. Some are coming to take hot Rasagollas here, which they believe are good for health.  Moreover during the marriage season and other family parties now everybody prefers sweets with the flavour of Nalen Gur and it continues up to March”             Moumita Das, an Actress of local Drama Troop, B-Zone, says, “I do not care of diabetes or others for taking sweets and particularly with the savour of Nalen Gur which is hot favourite to me in this season. In fact I follow the lines of Tagore “….. Sandesh Makhia Dinu Tate” and I enjoy sweets with anything at any time, not only as desert items but also as starters even. Kanchan Kumar Chatterjee.