Today we were invited to a tea party – a party with a difference. Unlike an English Tea party, this one had a distinctly Indian touch with the main purpose being to pay our respects to the Ganpati Wow Dinga’s family brought home every year for his ten day sojourn in their house. Tea parties, quintessentially English seem to be at odds with Ganesha who is as exotic and Indian as it can get but this was by far the most enjoyable Ganpati darshan I’ve had in a long time.

We trooped in a little after half past four thanks to a traffic hold up but our hosts were none too worried by this slight delay. After paying our respects to the idol, we sat down for a spot of conversation before settling down to a cup of tea. And what a tea it was!

A silver tea service sat demurely in one corner of the table which was laid out with Royal Doulton china – quarter plates and tea cups with ever so fine ears , in dull orange, bordered with a delicate gold trim. We sat behind the waiting plates and soon the goodies came out – sandwiches and cutlets, crisply fried bhajias with a sweet and sour tamarind chutney, the bite sized besan ladoos and the Dish of the Day –  patolya – a steamed rice flour pastry stuffed with fresh coconut and jaggery.

How I miss this kind of entertainment – the old fashioned tea party where one could spend a few hours of the afternoon in pleasant company and share a cup of tea.

This is the 6th post in the Write Tribe September Challenge